The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, August 21, 1909. A PUBLIC BOND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 470, 21 August 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, August 21, 1909. A PUBLIC BOND.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Palmerston Chamber of Commerce a letter was read from the Foxton Chamber, stating that it had been decided to approach the Government with a view to having Foxton constituted a port of entry for dutiable goods, and to ask the co-operation of all Chambers to that end. A reply from the Secretary for Customs on the matter was enclosed, which asked for information regarding the amount of dutiable goods which might go through the port. The Foxton Chamber asked that the Secretary of the Palmerston Chamber be empowered to enquire of Palmerston merchants what dutiable goods they would land at Foxton. Mr Goldingham is reported to have said that the Foxton people wanted a public bond, but the Department was likely only to give a private bond, in which case a certain revenue must be guaranteed. The Government would not give a bond in Palmerston, and it was hardly likely to be given in Foxton. A small company with a capital of about a thousand pounds could easily be floated in Palmerston, and could rent a building. Somebody connected with the Chamber might be lockerup. If this were done the whole district’s dutiable trade would be done in Palmerston. The trouble was to collect data. The matter was held over for a special meeting, and it was decided to write to the Foxton Chamber stating that the Palmerston Chamber is negotiating for a private bond, and failing getting this they would favour the bond being at Foxton. The al?ove is further evidence of Palmerston’s one-eyed way of looking at things. The Foxton Chamber of Commerce desires to assist business people in Marton, Feilding, Palmerston North, Levin and elsewhere, by asking that the local port be constituted a port of entry for dutiable goods. Because the Government would not —and rightly so —grant a bond for Palmerston, it does not follow that a public bond would be denied at a port. It is regrettable that Palmerston’s eye cannot see further than Palmerston’s nose, and we are surprised to learn that a gentleman of Mr Goldingham’s commercial experience, it he is correctly reported, dealing with this subject in such a parochial spirit. It would have been far better for the Foxton Chamber of Commerce to have collected its data on this subject, independent of the Palmerston Chamber. Fancy! “If we cant’t get a private bond, we will favour the bond being at Foxton !” The Foxton dog ought surely by this time to have had enough of Palmerston’s bones.