CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1914, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING.

4 The monthly meeting of the executive of the Chamber of Commerce 1 was held last night. Present: Messrs ,1. B. Richards (president). P, Thomson, A. F. Grant, R. Masters, \V. P. Kirkwood. I). J. Malone, M. H. H. Young,,,and W. A. Hewitt (hon. sec.). i

The Chairman reported that an Olmra party would visit Stratford, hutno advice had been received as to when the visit would take place. Tt was decided to urge on the Minister the necessity of delivering registered letters between 7 and S o’clock in the evening. A Kotare resident wrote urging that the Stratford-Okalmkura. railway should be diverted westward. He thought that .the route would be easier and would pass through a lot >f hind suitable for settlement.-The natter was left in the hands ot the

The Hon. Herries will be in Taranaki at an early .date. ft was decided to interview him and to nige that a detailed survey of the Strat-ford-Opunake route be made before other routes are considered.—On the motion of Mr Kirkwood it was decided that the deputation consist of lelegates from the 'Chamber of Com - merce, Borough Council, -Stratford County Council, Kaponga district, 1 and the Whangamomona County Council, rile deputation will deal generally with the railway affairs of the district. —Mr Herries is expected to visit the

listrict about March 19th.—Mr Hichmls (president) was chosen as the Clamber's delegate.—Mr Masters irged that reprsentations be made vith a view to having the sect’on to Whangamomona taken over as ea» 'y is possible.—lt will be impressed' = n Vlr Herries that the Chamber does mt wish to have the mail train leave Wellington earlier than usual in oiler to ensure connection adli the errv steamers, but desires that the

J.S.S. Co be urged to keep the learners to catch the trains.lm leputation will also represent the lecessity for extending the platform m the northern end, an,l the inoting if the whole phufonu.

The secretary of the Telegraph He-; lartment wrote that the l)eparthu.n f | ■ould not favorably cons dev the’' re-1 piest for an extension of the tele-! 1 p-aph line from Tahova to Tatu.—: '.'he Chairman said he wag not satis-1 led with the reply, and suggested: hat the co-operation of the fasten | bounty Councils should aga n be ask’d in the matter.—Mr Hewitt said he line would be a great Advantage to Taranaki.—Tt was decided that tlie natter be left in the hands of the President and Secretary to report to die next meeting. The Wellington Chamber asked for •o-oporation in the matter of gening; i revision of railway rates. The j ■aihvay rates were used to put an-) impost on imported goods, but the) Chamber thought that after goods had ( laid the Customs tariff they should: not be asked to pay a further penalty. ! —Mr Masters urged that representa- j ions should be made to have benzine . arried at the same rate as kerosene. I "here was aj big demand for benzine | i the district, it being used largely | or milking machines.—Tt ruvas de-) ided to co-operate with the Welling- 1 :on Chamber in the direction of ’ha vs( ng a revision of the railway tariff. I

The Auckland Chamber wrote re-1 yarding timber “shorts”—timber-m-j !er Bft., which cannot be railed oivmg to the high rate of freight. The “shorts” were burnt; but the Cham-

ber thought they might be utilised for j •nme .second-class; purposes.—lt was lecidod to forward the letter to the figment Box factory for perusal and .•(•ply.

The Minister for M hies wrote that it would be impossible to make a geological survey of the whole of Taranaki. The staff of the Survey Department was limited, and respect must be paid to the districts which showed most promise. It might be possible to make a survey if any particular area be indicated.—Mr Thomson moved that the Minister he asked to deal with the coal area in the Tangaraknu Gorge.—The Chairman said there had never been a survey of the land, though there had been reports of prospectors.—The motion was carried.