FOXTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4482, 24 July 1930, Page 3

FOXTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce was held in the Town Hall Supper-room on Tuesday evening, presided over bv Air. J. K. Hornblow (President). Also present were Messrs G. F. Smith, D. Christie, I. Corn, W. E. Bullard, D. R. Barron, John Ross, C. At. Hcwett, F. H. Murray. W. Trueman, A. Alsop, R. N. Speirs and the secretary (Mr. R. O. Hornblow). An apology for albs cnee was received from M r - T. McGee. TOBACCO GROWING LOCALLY.

The Director of Fields Division, Massey College, Palmerston North, wrote acknowledging receipt of the Chamber’s request for an inspeelion of Foxton for tobacco growing purposes, stating that the matter had been referred to the. Horticultural Division who would communicate with lhe Chamber on the matter in due course. Mr. F. Murray stated that Mr. H. Chalk, of Foxton, had grown tobacco quite successfully and quite easily in years' past. ■ Mr. W. Trueman said that the chief matter, he thought, was the marketing of the leaf after it had been grown. In Marlborough crops had been grown quite successfully but it had been impossible to find a suitable market. He thought that while investigations were .being carried out as to the suitability of Foxlon for the purpose it was equally desirable to ascertain the suitabililv of the market for the product. Mr. Christie, thought that the time would not be far distant when the industry would be developed to such an extent that the Government would have to appoint graders the slime as they had for the hemp industry. If this was done there would lie a possibility of obtaining a fixed price for the leaf. Referring to the scheme advanced for adoption in Foxton, the president said that the manufacturers preferred the leaf from small areas in preference to that from large holdings.

Mr. W. E. Bullard instanced a case where a tobacco grower in Marlborough had lost two acres of tobacco in one night due to frost. Mr. Corn thought the frost menace could easily be overcome by means of fires as was done in Hawke’s Bay,in connection with the fruit industry. It was decided to hold the matter over pending receipt of the report from the Horticultural Department. STOPPING THE LIMITED AT LEVIN. (Mr. Speii’s suggested that the president (who was visiting Wellington) should get in touch with the Minister for Railways in conjunction with the member for the district and point out the necessity for lhe stopping of the. down Limited at Levin for two minutes daily to enable local and district residents to arrive in Wellington early enough to enable them to conduct a day’s business and return home the same evening. The president promised to take I lie matter up if opportunity presented itself. Mr. Horn blow was also appointed to represent the Chamber on the deputation in connection with the Manawatu-Orona River scheme and to advocate the proposal as a means of relieving unemployment.