A LIVE ORGANISATION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 16, 26 June 1912, Page 1

A LIVE ORGANISATION.

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. WHAT IT HAS DONE. WHAT IT IS DOING.

It is pieasurablejto be able to record that the local ChaLbei of Commerce has done good serfce to the town and district since its infrption two months ago. That the tfie was opportune for the eeUblishnJut of the Chamber has been shotn by the enthusiastic manner in which members have devoted tbjmselves to their work, and a recognition of the good offices thy have already rendered should injure them to continued effort. Railway CoxsiircTio.v Works. It \va.-' duo to the efforts of the Chamber tha 1 . an opportunity was given to businu»« -* ' inspect the railway w rks ~ u. • <•. grass, and it may bo &■*:! :,at .•.-. i i,-ult a flood of light wa ~ hi ii|..•!. ti.e Departmental int ! >:-. In r> porting to the last me< ' i - ..f • , l( . Chamber the Secretary (AJi i Ardro\ aid there was to be an < : :• ...i brnlgo on the Paerata road. ! t "ft - ;ork had been done at U .n.:hi m .ad. Tho goods-shed wn.il i... opposite the horsebazaar: i - ue. iiutv! footbridge was to be at the s-rVrn e;i of tlv i goods-shed, a-. $ • nor *'"' , northern pait i ... . ..-. .stain... The new platfoii i wo .11 be • i r'Vhth of a mile long, .m! <■ low lL .... v'-'-' 1 would be situated the loading ya. U for the cattle. The entrane. station from East-street would be a carriage-way, 25ft wide, and alongside that a passenger footway leading to the platform. It was expected that within six months the railway business would be transacted at the new station. Shortly after the visut of the Chamber a petition was promoted by Mr F. Perkins, urging that tho new station should ho built within seven chains of the present station site. The Chamber passed a resolution supporting this view. The Old Station Condemned. There is a very unanimous opinion abput the undesirabiiity of shifting the old station to the now site. After the inspection had been made the Secretary of the Chamber wrote i (juite an interesting letter to the Minister for Railways. It was a forcible protest:—'When Sir Joseprr Ward visited Pukekohe a faf years ago he Inspected these buildings before replying to a deputation asking for an up-to-date station. Sir Joseph replied at the time that extensive alterations and rearrangements were proposed in regard to this station, and on that account he would not be in favor of erecting a new station at the present juncture. Repairs and additions wore then made to the old building iu order to enable it to fulfil t x u requirements mentioned. It is doubtful whether a private firm or company would ever consider a question of removing an old building like this, and it is the opinion of members uf this Chamber that your Department :ire making a mistake. The extension of business in Pukekohe has n<> ioubt already been brought under voir notico by the officers of your Department, and I think that if you again refer to the figures you will admit even if the expenses uf erecting a new and up-to-date bt'ilding is shelved at the present tinio it will have to be faced within the nest few years, in vhich case the cost of removing the present old building will be thiowu awiy. Tho Secretary was complimented by Mr Perkins, upon writing this letter — a compliment which the Chamber members endorsed. To Mr Massey an equally interesting letter was written: "A few years ago you inspected these buildings iu company with the writor and others. S : " Joseph remarked at tho time that the building was only fit for a cowshed, and you immediately interj >cted that if any farmei wero to use such a building for a cowshed the Department of Agriculture would object to it. These to refresh your memoiy as to the nature of tho building as it appeared to both yourself and Sir Joseph W:;rd when you inspectod it for the purpt.se of deciding as to its suitability as a station. . . No doubt you wil! bo surprised to learn that it is now proposed to remove the present old ramshackle on to a new site. I think that tho growing importance of Pukekohe demands something better." Potato Guam vu. i Another ijuestioii is which the { Chamber has interested itself is that f potato grading. The Farmers' baton ha> joined with tho Chamber, nd a public meeting has been con■ned Ujdiscujta tho matter. Said one of o Secretary's lottery "Thorn is a oveiucnt on foot towards arranging I r the establishment or a potato grar in Pukekohe. It has been sug- . -sted that the Government bo asked appoint a grader at this station, and

the charge be added to the railage on potatoes despatched from this station in order to cover the cost of a grader's salary. If you can arrange for one or two Auckland merchants to come up on the night in question it would be of great assistance at this end." To Mr Mass 'v a letter was sent on 14th asking whether an amendment to the present Act would bo required before the Government could make such an appointment. And so the matter stands until it is thrashed out at the public meeting. Postal Affairs. Already some improvements have been effected in the postal service as tho result of tho Chamber's activities. In this direction the Chamber fortunately has the goodwill of a painstaking and obliging postmaster. Tho letter-box at the top of King-street is now being cleared at 6.40 a.m. (as from 10th inst.), so as to catch the first train to Auckland. The Televiione Members have interested themselves I thi .■;' ; ••.qdioi •i \ ■ •to , :. : .y tin ■•=-''.' • 'lgiit M -Ui i • ! rosuil n- If ; -OiM't- tiio j : (.unnecied, :mi ' >'\ n ;iav> to join. 1 In this connection the required 1 "four" would bo got easily (they ' will be got anyhow) if some advantage ' were given to subscribers, as against outsiders, when using the neighbouring bureaux. At the last meeting the President (Mr R. F. Webster), reported that an effort was being made to extend the threepenny area so as to allow Pukekohe to speak to Auckland ai; half the present charge. He expressed the opinion that subscribers should have an advantage as against non-subscribers. Aid of the Auckland Chamber is b»ing invoked. Clear the Crossing. The blocking of East-street crossing by the railway trains has been the cause of repeated grumbling. So the Secretary wrote to the stationmaster saying that the omission of the porters to open tho trains so as to road traffic to pass had been the cause of complaints, an instance was given in which carts had to wait from 40 to 45 minutes, to the great inconvenience of business firms and the public generally. The reply was to the effect :hat the staff quite recognised the necessity for keeping the crossing dear, but circumstances at present did not always per- - mit of this. " I may say " (wrote the stationmaster), "that instances have: at times arisen wheie to tho public j eye it appears a simple matter to set; back or draw ahead a length or two, ! but from a railway official's point of I view, such a course would be im- ' possible, perhaps involving the public's i | safety or interfering with shunting j operations by fouling the lines. Your i Chamber can, however, rest assured that delay- of any length will not take place unless under special circumstances as outlined above.*' " No such circumstances have arisen since," said tho Secretary. " Satisfactory," said the Chamber. The extension ol tho postal delivery area, the appointment of additional police, and several other subjects have engaged the attention of the Chamber, and altogether the institution has fully justified the claims of those advocates who called it into existence.