CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 31, 11 June 1913, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the executive of the Chamber of Commerce j was held last night. Present: Messrs jW. P. Kirkwood (in the chair), S. H. 1 James, P. Thomson, 11. Masters, W. |H. H. Young, W. A. Hewitt, J. McMillan, E. Jackson and Munro. LOCAL INDUSTRIES. The matter of holding a “Local Industries Week’ was discussed. It was explained that not only local manufactures would be shown in shop windows, but goods of colonial manujfactures also. j Mr Masters thought the matter was really one for the Tradesmen’s (Association to take up. ! After an informal discussion‘it was decided to ask the Tradesmen’s Association to consider the matter. EASTERN RAILWAY ROUTE. Mr Young said he had made inquiries regarding the Chamber’s suggestion to have the eastern railway taken north-westwardly, towards the Mokau block. There were a good number of settlers on the proposed route, but the country was far to rough and precipitous to allow of a practicable route being found.

MAIL FOR OHIIRA. Mr Kirkwood reported that he had been assured that there was a person in Ohura who was prepared to carry the mail from Whangamomona to Ohura as soon as the roads were passable. The matter was left in the hands of a committee consisting of Messrs Ijames, Kirkwood and Richards. STOPS FOR MEALS. Mr Hewitt brought up the matter of the morning train outwards on the eastern line. It ran out to Pohokura but passengers were only taken as far as Te Wera. He thought passengers should be taken the whole distance. He also drew attention to the long waits at stations while members of the train staff had meals. Messrs Hewitt and Richards were appointed a committee to interview the authorities on the matter. A NATIVE BLOCK. ; The secretary drew the attention of the Chamber to the Maraekowhai Block of native land on the eastern railway. He said that in a short dime the line would be in the vicinity of the block, and it was fairly certain that the Government would stop construction until,they had come to some, decision ap to the laud.; lire Government should at once be urged to purchase the land, in order to expedite the construction of the line. Owing to the cost and difficulty of getting signatures of natives to a deed of sale it would hardly pay to rely on private speculators buying'the' land. It was decided after a short discussion to urge the purchase on the Government.

TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS. The secretary of the General Post Office wrote stating that ‘the--;.present capacity of I the 'telephone poles in the main street had 'reached its utmost capacity. Provision was being made to lay the wires underground. Applications for connections would he satisfied as soon as practicable. Mr Kirkwood said the men had arrived in Stratford to carry out the alterations.

The Secretary queried if it was a fact, as had been stated, that there were thirty people waiting for telephone connections. Mr Thomson said that there were not that number in Stratford. Probably the number named covered the whole of the postal district. Mr Hewitt said there were only five or six waiting in the Borough itself.

Mr Jackson said that though the number in the Borough was small the applicants deserved consideration none the less. A QUESTION IN GEOGRAPHY. A letter from the Prime Minister was forwarded to the Chamber by Mr Hine, M.P., The Prime Minister wrote in reference to a deputation which had waited on him in reference to communication with Kotare and pointed out that while Kotare ivas ■seventy miles from Stratford it was only eleven miles from Tongaporntu.

It was pointed out that of the seventy miles from Stratford sixty would 'be by rail when the eastern railway was completed to Tahora. It was also stated that the roads on the route from Kotare to Waitara (about forty miles) were in bad condition. The secretary (Mr Richards) stated that the. Chamber had been badly informed on the matter and had had to find out the facts from maps.

It was decided to forward the Prime Minister’s leter to the Kotare people so that they could see that the Chamber had moved in the matter.