WAITEMATA CHAMBER

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 77, 22 June 1927, Page 4

WAITEMATA CHAMBER

The Waitemata Chamber of Commerce met at Ford's Rooms, Devonport, last evening, Mr. Geo. Minchin presiding. It was decided to back up the protest made by Birkenhead against being detached from the rest of the North Shore for Parliamentary purposes. It was recognised that keeping the four marine boroughs together as a political unit had advantages that would offset the under-representation consequent on about 25,000 having only one member in the House. The chairman reported that the subcommittee set up to enquire as to the wisdom of amalgamating the four marine boroughs considered that this ideal was not yet capable of realisation. It was suggested by Mr. Kennings that perhaps a drainage board similar to the city one might be constituted for the North Shore, -and along with the water board and similar bodies bring in amalgamation piecemeal as circumstances warranted. The Public Works Department and the Prime Minister, in whose electorate the East Coast Road is, are to be asked to consider making a straightout grant for repairs to this road. The various local bodies on the North Shore and the Waitemata County are to be invited to join in making representations to the Government to set up a North Shore transport board. Considerable comment was made on the statement of Devonport Borough finance made by the Mayor last week, and it was resolved that while the Mayor was to be congratulated on tackling the problem of retrenching there was no reason for alarmist statements regarding the borough, which is eminently sound financially. The protest made at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce recently regarding the menace to the general prosperity of the country involved in the extension of hire-purchase practices to articles of luxury found sympathy, and an effort is to be made to get the Government o take notice of the evils of the time-payment system with a view to limiting it, especially in the direction of preferment in bankruptcy actions. It was considered that the time had arrived for a revision of the policy of the Highways Board in declining to subsidise the maintenance of declared highways that traverse boroughs; the motor taxation was raised for the purpose of keeping the main roads ir. order for motor traffic, and not for the opening of the backblocks. It was proposed to urge boroughs to make another effort to have the subject placed before the House. On the motion of the chairman it was resolved to protest against the absurd way in which the suppression of names in the criminal courts is carried out. and to urge that the position was getting so abused that the power to order the suppression of names should be abolished.