CHAMMBER OF COMMERCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2121, 29 April 1920, Page 3

CHAMMBER OF COMMERCE.

SPECIAL MEETING. AIR. E. NEWMAN, ALP., PRESENT , A special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held last night for the purpose of conferring with Air E. Newman, ALP., in connection with matters of interest to the welfare of | he. district. The President (Mr J. AL Barr) formally welcomed Air Newman* whom, he said, had always taken a very great interest in all matters that affected the prosperity of Foxton and district. The following matters were dis-

cussed: — / Alangahao Hydro-Electric Scheme. —Alembers said that (he Vigilance Committee, with headquarters in Palmerston North, were urging on

the progress of the work, and making suggestions to the Minister as to the best methods of expediting the work, and this portion could well he left in their hands. What the people in (his district required enlightenment on was (he best steps to lake to ensure that when power was availahlc the consumers would be in a position to'get it. A meeting had recently been held in Levin to discuss the question of forming an Electric' Power .District- under the Act passed in 1918, hut none of the delegates present at that meeting appeared to know what steps wore necessary in this connection, and the meeting adjourned for the purpose of making farther enquiries. The Chamber was anxious (hat when power was available all the machinery would he in train so that consumers in this district could he supplied without delay. Suburban Train Area. —It was pointed out that the Palmerston N. Retailers’’ Association was agitating to have a suburban train area created around Palmerston, to include Foxton, Levin, Paliiatua, Woodvillo, and Foil ding, and whilst some members of the Chamber considered this would not he detrimental to the towns mentioned, others were of tlie opposite opinion, and quoted ILmgiora, Kaiapoi, and other places adjacent to Christchurch, which it was stated had been detrimentally affected when the Christchurch suburban (rain area was established. Air Newman was asked if lie could enlighten'members on this subject. Sand Danes. —This was a matter which the Chamber spent a good deal of time over last year, when it was urged that the Government should' take in hand the reclaiming of the sand drift area along (lie coast between Puekakariki and Waitolara. All the local bodies and chambers

of commerce in Iho'dislriel .concernt' ed were circularised and asked to Ll co-operale. and everv one of them agreed that this matter wa.s an urgent necessity, and made representations to the (lovermnent, urging that steps he taken to deal with the drift. No good had ye! resulted from this agitation, the Lunds Department advising (hat there was provision in the Act wlferohy reclamation could he underlaken by Hie land owners concerned. One of Hu; difficulties in this district, however, was (hat large tracts of Native land was under lease with no compensation clause for improvements, and the lessors under these circumstances did not feel justified in expending money to stop the drift. The drift mg N sa ml in the area between Paekakariki and Wailara was menacing thousands of acres of good land, and Hie Government should take immediate action to reclaim

same. Government: Assistance to Harbour Boards. —A member of the Chamber stated that he had noticed in a newspaper some months ago a statement by Mr T. M. Wilford, the then Minister for Marino, that he had under consideration some system of assistance to Harbour Boards. He asked if Mr Newman could give any information on this point.

Goatsrue. —This question had occupied a great deal of Ihc Chamber's time during the past year, memhers recognising that the spread of this weed was menacing thousands of acres of first-class land along the river hard':s. The Woodville, Horowlienua, and Kairanga Counties had already declared it a noxious weed, but although repeated requests had been made to the Manawatu County Council to have it also declared a noxious weed in that county, they refused to do so, first on the ground that until it was dealt with at its source, the other side of the -.Manawatu Gorge, it. was useless the Manawatu County Council doing anything to compel owners to eradicate it, as the seed would he re-sown by the first Hood. *The Lands Department was then communicated with, asking that action be taken to have the weed eradicated on the properties in the Woodville County, and a reply was received to the ellec! that the Inspector of Noxious Meeds in the Woodville district had been communicated with, instructing him to see that- the provisions of the Act were complied with. The Manawatu County Council was advised 'accordingly by the Chamber, but they still refused to take the necessary steps to have the weed declared a noxious weed in that area. Kailway Time-Table. —At the present time the afternoon train from Foxton reached Palmerston North only ayfew minutes’after the departure of the north bound WeHington- , Auckland express. The Chamber asked the Kailway Department that the Foxton time-table be amended so as to allow ti passengers by the afternoon train to connect with the. express. The Department: replied that the representations of the Chamber would receive consideration when the time-table was next revised. That was in May of last

year, and no further reply had since been received. Another matter that required attention was the question •of the early train on Monday mornings. This should he discontinued at least during the winter months. Mr Newman, in replying, thanked members for giving him the. opportunity of meeting them, and also for the very hearty welcome he had received. He was glad to see the Chamber resuscitated.- "When he previously represented Fox ton it was a Jive body, but was afterwards unfortunately, allowed to die. In these days when the time of members of Parliament was so much taken up they were very grateful to have these organisations that assisted to keep them in touch with the requirements of their district. A Chamber of Commerce was of great assistance in this connection, and lie

was exceedingly pleased that the Foxton Chamber had been resuscitated. Since 1908, Air Newman said, lie had always been keenly interested in the welfare of Foxton and district, and in connection with the development of same he considered (here were two, matters of overwhelming importance, one was the improvement and development of the port, and the other was the Manga ha o hydro-electric scheme. In dealing with (he hydro-electric scheme, Mr Newman said no man in the House was more alive than himself to the importance of the Alangahan scheme. In October, 1919, ho had urged upon the Minister for Public Works the urgent necessity for this work being pushed on without delay, and had I hen pointed out thiit this could best he done by putting the work in the hands of a nonpolitical hoard. The Minister agreed that that was the best method, and said he would do his best to give effect to it. He urged the Chamber to support the setting up of such a board, and also to give siII the support possible to tlie Vigilance Commit tec, which was doing very useful work. Tlie Government did not de-.-ire to have anything to do wi-h the direct supplying of power to consumers, and provision had been made tor Die setting-up-of Boards to deal with same. In connection with I lie setting up of a Board and the creation of a dislfjcl the first steps to he taken were to ascertain the requirements of consumers in the district, and local bodies should first do this so that they will know approximately the amount of power required in their district. In reference to the proposal to create a. suburban train area around Palmerston North: This was amnalter that had not previously come under hik notice,and he therefore could not give any advice of any value. The question of dealing with tlie sand drift menace-wa--of great importance, and one that in- personally had always taken a V; ry keen interest in, as also had Mr W. 11. Field, M.P. Mr Newman

said that on a farm which he owned some time ago in the Levin district there was a good <le'al of.sand drift, (in this he had planted some thousands of pinus insignis trees, with great success, almost the whole of !l;e trees doing well, and in At) years ;hey would he lit lo cut. He suggested that the Chamber should continue Hie agitation and combine with other bodies in the district in forcing upon the Government the neees-,-ily of, doing something. Afforestation of sand dune country could be made a profitable undertaking, and in view of Ihe menace that sand drift was to thousands of acres of good land, Hie Government should do something tangible, and he assured members that lie would con-tinue-to work lo get something done in this connection. Mr Field would also hi* only too pleased to assist. In reference to a statement made that -Mr Wilford had promised some ‘aid for Harbour Boards, Mr Newman said that he had not had any Miidi statement brought under his notice before, but lie would institute inquiries into the matter. As far as the goatsrne menace was concerned, Hie question of. declaring it a noxious weed rested with the local bodies. He would do his host, however. to see that steps were taken hy the Department' to clear Native and Crown lands of this weed. The Chamber’s wishes in reference to alterations in the railway time-table would also receive his attention. On the motion of the Chairman, a hearty vote of thanks to Air Newman was carried by acclamation.