CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 806, 1 February 1910, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The quarterly meeting of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce was held in the secretary’s office last night. Present :—Dr Maudl (president), and Messrs Bullard, Speirs, Rimmer, Levelt, Phillips and Walker.

The secretary read the President’s report for the quarter ended November, 1909, which referred to the work done during that period. The chief aim of the Chamber had been to have Foxton constituted a port of entry tor dutiable goods, but up to the present their efforts had been unavailing. When the question was first brought forward Palmerston declined to consider it, but finally decided to support it, and it was thought that if a petition from the merchants of that town, asking that Foxton be constituted a port of entry for dutiable goods, be forwarded to the Minister, the position would be strengthened considerably. With this in view the secretary visited Palmerston, but owing to the day being unfavourable (Show day) he was unable to do anything in the matter. However, the members of the Palmerston Chamber promised to see that the paper was signed and forwarded on. Unfortunately, nothing further had since been heard of it. Levin, Marton, and Feildiug had also been written to with a request th ' ‘ r rrd similar requisitions, but no reply had been received from them. The report also reterred to the alteration in the mail service to Mokowai, which had been brought into force from November xst, and also that through the Chamber’s efforts a promise had been received from the Department that the railway station and wharf would be better lighted. In reviewing the future prospects of Foxton, the President referred to the large increase in the amount of hemp graded at the local port for the six months ended November 30th, as against the same period of the previous year, and as the prosperity of the town depended to a great extent on the hemp industry, it pointed to a good year. He also referred to the necessity of making provision against fire, as should a fire occur in the business portion of the town, the result would be disastrous. The report was adopted.

A letter was read from the Marton Chamber of Commerce in reference to the Bevin-Marton railway, advocating that a map of the proposed route be prepared showing the advantages of such a line. The cost of same was set down at and it was proposed that the Marton, Bevin and Foxton Chambers should each bear onethird of the cost. —The secretary was instructed to obtain further particulars.

The chairman said that when the Hon. J. A. Millar was in Foxton he had stated, in reply to the request that Foxton be constituted a port of entry for dutiable goods, that it was a question of what percentage it would cost to collect the customs at Foxton. The chairman said he understood from that statement that if it could be shown that customs could be collected as cheaply iu Foxton as elsewhere, there would be no great barrier iu the way of having the port constituted a port of entry. The Council decided to communicate with several chambers where bonded stores were in existence with a view of obtaining an estimate of the cost of collection of customs duty.

It was also decided to write the Minister for Railways, pointing out that the wharf and railway station had not been lighted as promised. After passing one small account for payment, the meeting terminated.