PUKEKOHE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 252, 20 February 1917, Page 1

PUKEKOHE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Interesting Matters Discussed.

A general meeting of membeif of the Pukekohe Chamber of Com merce was held last Tuesday evemn« under the presidency of Mr U. Dell. ACCESS TO WAIKATO RIVER. In regard to the suggestion recently made by a deputation of the Chamber to the Franklin County Council that a surveyed road leading to the Waikato river at Cameron Town should be opened up in order to afford direct road connection between Pukekobe and the river 93 th it benzine and other commodities could be conveyed to the district by water transport at a lower freightage than by railway, it was reported that no reply had been received from yie Council. It was decided to again cummunicate with the Council aod to point out that it was only asked that the road should be opened, the expense of metalling not being suggested. TELEFHONIC DEFECTS. The secretary (Mr J. P. Asber) was instructed to again complain to the Acting-Postmester as to the lack of attention gi#en to calls at the telephone exchange and, further, to call attention to the induction defects in the wires in outside districts, more particularly in the case of Onewhero, whereby conversations were rendered more or less unintelligible. POSTAL FACILITIES. The request made in the interests of business men of the town for the afternoon outward mail to close at 5.15 p.m. instead of at 5 p.m. as now, and for the closing of the pillar-box at Perkins' Corner to be correspondingly extended from 4.50 p.m. to 5. p.m., not having been entertained by the local postmaster it was resolved to make appeal to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, a deputation, if necessary, to wait on that official to explain local circumstances. MAIN TRUNK EXPRESSES. After the reading of the letter from the General Manager of Railways (Mr Hiley), as recently published, expressing inability to accede to the Chamber's request made to the Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. H. Heme?, M.P.) for the Main Trunk express trains to stop at Pukekohe, the secretary waß instructed to communicate with Mr Hiley, and in combatting arguments raised in his (Mr Hiley's) letter to solicit re-cunsideration of the application, copies of the correspondence to be forwarded to the Hon. Mr Herries and to the member for the district, the Right. Hon. W. F. Massey. RETROGRADE KAILWAY METHOD S. v Mr Frank Perkins brought under the Chamber's notice a recent alteration of stock and yroducerailway arrangements whereby serious delays in transit occurred to the loss and inconvenience of consignors. He mentioned that in place of the goods train leaving Pukekohe about 10 p.m. for Auckland conveying consignments, stock and produce were only carried by a goods train, which left at any time between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. and frequently did not arrive in Auckland until 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. Not only, he Baid, were the stock too late for the Westfield market, but being loaded about 7 p.m. they were unduly long in the trucks. Further, produce failed to arrive in Auckland in time for the market and on certain occasions potatoes had missed outward bound steamers for which they were intended. Mr W. Rouhton endorsed Mr Perkinß' remarks.

The secretary was instructed to communicate with the Railway Department on the matter and also to solicit the co-operation of Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons and the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, which firms, it waß mentioned, had already lodged complaints with railway officials in regard to the transit of stock. FIRE INSURANCE RATES. In view of the an improved water supply service shortly coming into operation it was resolved to apply to tha Insurance Companies for a reduced rate for fire insurance for the town. THE TOWN BEAUTIFUL. A sub-committee consisting of Messrs 0. Heerdegen, F. Perkins and R. F. Webster waa appointed to draft a scheme for beautifying the town, and also to request the Borough Council to erect seats in the Domain and t? remove the fence which at preßent obstructs admission to the Domain. WAIUKU CANAL SCHEME. Mr K. F. Webßter reported that he had represented the Chamber at last week'u outing at Waiuku when the route of the proposed Waiuku Canal was inspected. Consideration of the proposal was deferred pending receipt of the resolutions as passed at the meeting at Waiuku. A PUBLIC NEED. It was decided to bring under the attention of the Borough Council the desirability of the provision of a public convenience in the town,