CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 154, 16 December 1913, Page 1

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The December Meeting. The monthly meeting of the council of the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce was held in the " Times " office on Tuesday ; present—Messrs Webster (president, in the chair), Lusher, Sutton, Dell, Eussell, Townson and Pilkington (secretary). HOW FAR IS BUCKLAND ? The letter from the District Traffic Manager, saying that he was still unable to supply the information asked as to the distance between Pukekohe and Buckland provoked laughter. The president said accor/ling to the railway time-table it was two miles from Pukekohe to Buckland, but it also said it was three miles from Buckland tc Pukekohe. THE TBAIN SERVICES. The correspondence about the change in the Rotorua express, which now makes a regular stopping-plaje of Pukekohe, was accepted as quite satisfactory. —It was decided to thank Mr Massey and Mr Herriea. There was no letter regarding the Wellington express. The president ; thought as an inducement to the Department to stop one of these expresses the town might offer to give the Department water free for : a couple of years. The Mayor j seemed agreeable. Continuing, Mr Webster said he thought they ( should get into touch with Huntly j so as to have the train stop here and at Huntly, cutting out Mercer for one of these trains. Mr Townson said this would cut out the refreshment station. Mr Lusher : There is a dining car on the train. J Mr Townson: But everybody does not use that. Besides, there's the contract with the refreshment rooms. Mr Townson asked if it would not cost a good deal of money to erect the water tank and appliances at • the station. ] Mr Webster said there was a tank there already. Mr Russell thought they should say nothing about Huntly. Mercer could stay as it was so long as the train stopped at Pukekohe. He moved, That the council of this Chamber write to the Borough Council recommending that the borough offer the water to the Department for twelve months, for the Wellington express, free of charge. Mr Russell seconded the motion which was carried. THE SUBSCRIPTION NUISANCE. The president smilingly said that the president of the A. and P. Society had got bu3y on subscriptions for the show (after seeing the report of the last Chamber meeting in the "Times") so as to get matters fixed up before the Chamber came to a decision as to what it would do about "these subscriptions." Mr Dell thought something should be done. In one case a collector presented a list to him and he gave, whereupon the collector put that list in his pocket and immediately produced another. That was the richest thing he had seen. The president said there might be two or three men in the same line of business. One who was well off and felt disposed gave largely and those interested were apt to go to that person with their trade, shunting off the poorer man altogether. If the subscription were put into a common fund then subscriptions could be given as a general donation. People who wanted sports should pay for it, but a matter of benevolence was a different thing. Mr Pilkington : And churches. Mr Russell: How would you draw the line ? Mr Webster: We could draw it at sports. . Mr Russell: Sports are very little, the others are the biggest things. Mr Townson said it would be a very difficult thing to control. If the subscriptions were kept within reasonable bounds they were not a hardship. Business people should be prepared to help forward any enterprise in the place. It was finally concluded that the Chamber should take no action, the matter being one for the shopkeepers to deal with.

SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING. The president referrei to a complaint that all the shops were not closing at six o'clock. Mr Pilkington said at present the shops closed at six o'clock only by arrangement; it had not been gazetted. Saturday half-holiday was compulsory but six o'colck closing, where hands were not employed, was not. Mr Dell said matters had been working very smoothly and he would be sorry to see it go back to the days of 7, 8 and 9 o'clock. Mr Townson : It is a step back to return to the old conditions. Mr Pilkington said by one keeping open others in the same line of business would follow suit and presently the whole arrangement would fall to the ground. Mr Webster and Mr Pilkington were appointed to interview Constable Willcocks, as inspector of shops, to ascertain what the position was and to report to a future meeting. FIRE INSURANCE RATES Mr Lusher : Can nothing further be done in reference to the reduction in fire insurance rates ? The president: Not yet. Mr Pilkington said it had been suggested that the secretary of the Fire Brigade Association in Auckland should come down and advise, and that afterwards the matter should be put before a public meeting. ROOSE'S BUSH. Mr Lusher : What about Roose's bush ? Mr Townson said he understood the Borough Council had communicated with tho Prime Minister and the matter of having the bush reserved would be again discussed. THE STRIKE. Mr Russell moved, that this meeting of the Chamber tender its congratulations to the Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister, upon the effective measures taken in dealing with the strike in opening the ports of the country. Seconded by Mr Sutton and carried.