CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Shannon News, 11 September 1923, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

GENERAL MEETING

A quarterly general meeting of the Shannon Chantoer ol Commerce was held in the \ Council Chambers on Thursday evening. The president (Mr Gunning presided over a good' attendance oi members. .PRESIDENT’S REPORT. The president (Mr Gunning), in his Report * stated that the following} matters had been dealt with during the past quarter hy the Council:—The Railway Department had been written to asking them to provide better facilities for the handling of heavy goods at the local yards and a reply ,had been received that the Department could not see its Way clear to put in a crane' for the handling ol goods, ag they thought that when the Mangahao hydro works were completed there would be no neisd lor one. The Borough Council had been asked - to make provision for a swimming pool when the work of banking the Otauru stream was in progress, which request had been acceded to. The question of drainage in Shannon had been dealt with by the Chamber and several townships on the Main Trunk Line who hau installed systems and were similarly situated to Shannon were written to as to cost of installation. 1 The highest cost was £12,000, whereas it had been stated it would cost £30,000 for sewerage In Shannon. The Borough Council had been written to asking them to urge the matter on and they bad now instructed their Engineer to prepare estimates oi cost on two systems (1) The c-on- . gested- area of the town, end (2) the' whole of the Borough. Application had been made for more male teachers at the local school, but the Education Board had notified they were unable to grant, the request owing to scarcity of male teachers. The Cham-- . hers at. Foxton, Levin, and Otaki had been written- to asking for their cooperation in urging upon the Horo--1 whenua Rugby Union to have representative fdotiball matches played at the different towns instead of ail, at Levin. The Horowhenua Rugby Uniort had also been written to. Foxton and Otaki offered their support, ' but the Rugby Union had ignored their request. The Borough Council had been asked to have a place set aside for public speaking, but the Council, not wishing to prevent freedom of speech, decided .to instruct the police to keep the main street clear on' such occasions,, so that traffic will not be interfered with. A deputation had waited ,on the Horowhenua Couirty Council in respect to the unformed portion lof the Koputaroa.-Buckley -road being completed and had.received a favourable reception. The Council could not promise going on with the work, but since then they had in■struicted their Engineer to prfepa.re a n estimate of cost. The Chamber and Borough Council had both been asked to each appoint two delegates to sit on a committee to be set up to deal with the question. The flax industry, which was a most important one lor this district, had been dealt with. As Everyone was aware the Flax-millers’ Association had Been carrying: on experiments in introducing fl'ax which would produce more fibre and b'e immune from disease. To enable them to carry on the experiments they had applied to the Government lor a subsidy. One was granted but it was too small. The Chamber got Mr S'eil’ert to address a iheeting in Shannon on the 1 position, the outcom'e oi which a resolution was forwarded to the Government supporting a subsidy for £IOOO per year. He was pleased to say that the Government had now granted £SOO and would now forego the tax which would bring in £BOO. This was ioi the present year, but he understood the subsidy would be necessary for two or three' years to enable the flax millers to complete the experiments. Other mutters dealt with were th. 1 request for a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court here- monthly and obtaining a resident dentist, solicitor and maternity nurse. The report was adopted.. «

CORRESPONDENCE. A letter w-as received Irom thStomp Duties’ Office advising th<it the Unclassified Registration Act had been repealed by- the Incorporated societies Act, 1908, and if it is desired to ■ register the Chamber under t-he last, mentioned Act additional matteis must be provided for. . • Mr Murphy gave notice oi motion to rthove that a minue passed, at the last general meeting of the Chamber re registering be rescinded and to defer registering until next general meeting. RAILWAY STATION. It was. reported that an officer oi the Railway Department had inspected the railway station building, and had recommended ior turn impf.-w----merits in the luggage room and ladies’ wailing room, but had stated tne request lor a new station could not be entertained at present. So tar nothing had been heard frefm the .Department. „ . Mr Tippler moved and Mr Fargher seconded that the Minister oi Railways be written to asking if he has done anything and that his attention be drawn to the delay in answering the Chamber’s request. MALE TEACHERS. As regards ‘ securing more male teachers at the local school, the rep y from the Minister of Education stated that- it- w’as left to tlie Education Board to make appointments. ,Mr Tippler moved and Mr Bovts seconded that the Education Board be written to on t-he same lines as the letter sent to the Minister, which was agreed to. It wa,s also decided that Messrs Andrew and Murray interview Mr Harkness, the member on the Board for this district, FLAX INDUSTRY. . In reply to a question Mr H- Se'- . fert agreed 'that il the ilers Association could not get iho subsidy for next year. also. - they have to drop the experiments. The meeting decided That the matter be left, over in the meantime, the Executive to act if necessary-KOPUTAROA-BUCKLF.Y BOAT). Mr Hole said that Mr Tv. Easton bad been asked by the {ijive an estimate of cost of fo ™j ** the unformed portion of the Kopu taroa-Buekley road. Mr Easton ha reported to him' that he had been over the road, and was prepared '

do the Work, fencing included, at approximately £25 per .chain. The president (Mr Gunning) said in respect to this matter representatives _ should be appointed from the Chamber to sit on the committee which was to pusji the matter. The Borough Council had twO' representatives, one of whom was a repre- ; sentative of Ihe Chamber of Com-' merge. He did not know if this was satisfactory.. ■ . Mr Hyde said: he considered it was advisable for the Chamber to have' direct representation. This the meeting agreed' with and Messrs Glunning and Tippler were appointed, Mr Fargher to act as deputy. MAGISTRATE'S COURT. On the motion of Mr ThWaites it was decided that the Minister for Justice be written to asking for a monthly sitting and tlnyfc the member for the district be urged to further the request. Mr Thwaites said on reviewing the work of the first three months the Chamber of Commerce was to be congratulated on the amount, of work put through and results obtained. At the time of the formation of the Chamber he had said that, if it did not bring the business men closer together to know and understand each other better, the chief object of the Chamber would not be -attained. It w|a.s not only th‘e work done "that counted, but there was the litoral side and it was that' feeljng the Chamber kva.s inculcating that was going to achieve results in the future. EXCESSIVE SORTING CHARGES AT PORT OF FOXTON. The secretary of the Foxton Harbour. Board wrote stating; that at the meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board comment bad been made on the excessive sorting charges at. that port and asking the Chamber to consider f'he matter and to urge that delegates be, sent from the Chambers of Commerce within the Board’s rating district to interview Ibe Minister for Railways with a view to having a reduction effected. A letter was also received from the same source advising Ihe Chamber Ihot the question of obtaining shed accommodafion Inr . freights via Foxton bad been recently and satisfactorily considered by Ihe Wellington Harbour Board. Tn future the Board will provide this facility to merchants and others for the I smn of 2/6 per ton, which charge includes labour, unloading vehicles, one week’s storage and trucking to gangway provided the loading vessel is berthed alongside No. 7 shed where •tile goods will be stored. Tt was decided lo leave the matter in the hands ol‘ the Executive to deal with.