CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Shannon News, 12 September 1924, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

QUARTERLY MEETING.

1 Tne quarterly meeting of members oi me "Shannon. Chamber of com'uierouswas held in tne Council Cham- : hers on Wednesday evening wntai • mere was a good attendance oi members. The President (Mr ilnwaues) presided. PRESIDENT’S REPORT. The President in reviewing tile work of the past quarter said some progress had been made, but not as much as could be wished. It was pleasing to know the Chamber now received greater recognition by tiie Borougn council who were coming to the' conclusion that their efforts were worthy of recognition. Pie said members would be asked tQ appoint delegates to meet the Borough Council ior the purpose of making arrangements for celebrating the turning on of the .power from Mangahao ami this was one tiling that would help to bring a better leeling between tiie two bouies. In referi’ihg to the establishment of.a High School in. Shannon he would like to see more progress made in this direction. The Chamber, the- speaker said/ lutd been successful in securing telephone communication witn me doctor by Tokomaru alter the usuai telephone closing hours and on sundays, while endeavours were still being curried out to secure improvements to tfhe baggage room at the railway station. In conclusion he stated that the discussions by/ the Council on different matters had been most interesting and he felt sure goon would coma from file Chamber’s eilons. The report was adopted. Mr Moody was elected auditor. BETTER TELEPHONE SERVICE. me President elated he was m receipt oi iniorihation relative to applying lor an extension of telephone nouns at the local exchange. He believed that it was now possible to get this concession. In the past a party line counted as one subscriber, but now each person on the line counted cw one. it was -necessary to present a petition tq tiie Department signed ny tme e-1 our tbs ql the subscribers. Tniis privilege was granted whom mere are juu subscribers and over.

On the motion of Mr Gunning, seconded by Mr .Hyde, it was resoiveu tnat a committee consisting ol tne President ,und Messrs Andrew and Beard be set up to .secure the necessary signatures. it was also resolved that the Postmaster he. approached by the same committee with a view, to having me Hours qf access to the Post Office box lobby extended from 7 a.m. to 10 pun., also that the post office clock be placed in ,a more prominent position. POWER BOARD CHARGES.

The President said that the Power Board’s minimum charge oi 5s per month to consumers seemed to him hardly fair and suggested that it should he £3 per year. He agreed that on the face there did not appear any difference, but he contended there was. The consumer who used power during the winter months in excess of the minimum p.fid lor it, while in the summer months possibly he would not r>ach the m-m.-rmm and therefore had to pay for paver he did not receive. He comijc T, od that the winter months whet, consumption was high should offset the summeif months when cunsumpfion was low.

Mr Gunning said that at the next meeting of the Board lie intended to bring forward the question of charge 1 ' for places ol worship. He said that in the winter months they were under the minimum ' and that in the summer hionths the position would be worse. He stated he would also mention the matter referred to by the President. . DUTY ON RECEIPTS. Mr Gunning, in bringing forward the question ol stamp duty on receipts, said that the present rate to his mind was not a lair proposition and he contended that it should be a graduated rate the same as on bills of exchange. At present it was 2d on £2 and the same on £IOOO and as a result the small business man was tile sufferer. He advocated the rate should he Id up to £lO, £2 to £25 and gradually rise up to 3d or 4d or even 6d. He* then moved that the following remit be. forwarded to the Conference of chambers to be held at Wanganui; “That the receipt stamp duty be graduated in such a way so that revenue would not suffer, with one penny as the minimum.”—Carried. A BUILDING SOCIETY. Mr Hyde, in support ol his notice ol motion to iurm a terminating building society m Shannon, said the idea wag to assist persons to secure their o.wn nomes by securing Joans free oi interest and also as a means oi enabling them to gave money. He said there was no doubt about such a proposition being a good thing, and lie thought sufficient snares would he taken up. Hie meeting was unanimously in favour of the proposal and on Mr Hyde’s motion seconded by Mr Gunning it was decided that a public meeting be called under the auspices ol the Shannon Chamber of Commerce of those interested in forming a Terminating Budding Society in Shannon and that the arrangements for such be left in the hands of a sub-committee consisting of Messrs ThWaites. Gunning, Hyde and Moody. GENERAL. Mr Burns drew atention to a press report that the members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce had not visited the Mangahao works owing to fhe difficulty of transport from Shannon.—it. wa 3 decided that a letter be forwarded the Chamber informing them that if they had communicated with the Shannon Chamber' arrangements could have been made for their conveyance to’ t9le works. t

The President, and Messrs Tippler, King, Andrew and H. Seifert, were appointed delegates to act in conjunction with the Borough Council in respect, to making arrangements for tjie Mangahao celebrations. It wa® decided that a petition be

taken in lnincl t° obtain signatures of every, person using fire luggage room at the railway station with a view to getting the improvements carried out, such petition to be ready so that it can be presented to members of Parliament on the occasion of their visit to Mangahao. ' The secretary was instructed to forward to Mr Baxter, the late postmaster a letter .of appreciation of his services and assistance to the Chamber. Mr Tippler reported lie had not completed his canvass for pupils who would attend tihe proposed High School, but up to the present he had 19 names and Koputaxoa, Tokomaru and Moutoa were yet to ’ be canvassed. As only 20 pupils were required to entitle Shannon to a High School, he did not think there would he any trouble in getting he required number. He stated the chairman at Hoputaroa had expressed his willingness to call a special meeting if desired. Mr Tippler ga.ve notice of motion to alter the night of meeting at the next quarterly meeting.

It was decided that all members be cordially invited to attend the Executive meetings.