BUSINESSMEN'S MEETING

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 84, 26 August 1953, Page 4

BUSINESSMEN'S MEETING

SLOGAN COMPETITION DECIDED There was a gooa attendance at the quarterly meeting of the Businessmen's Association held on Monday of last week when it was reported that a few more signatures were required before the petition for a change of the statutory holiday for Taupo is submitted to the authorities for action. A total of 54 slogans had been submitted by nine entrants in the slogan competition. Three of these were nominated by members from the full list and when they were put to the vote the winner of the guinea was declared to be Miss A. Seymour with the slogan "Taupo for Leisure and Pleasure." There were no awards for second or third prize but their placings were adjudged as f ollows : "Taupo, the Town • of Tomori'ow," submitted by Mrs W. H. Kent and "Make Your Vacation Designation Taupo," submitted by Mrs J. Anderson. Information Board Mr Svenson submitted to the Association a draft plan for an information board. The price fully erected and manufactured in the best everlasting materials to withstand the vagaries of the weather was quoted at £95. It was stated that a considerable saving could be made by constructing the board in wood or other similar materials, and it was decided to submit the plan to the Town Board to see if they would favour contributing to the scheme so that permanent materials could be used. - / Children's Playground The fact that the swings in the children's playground were now operating satisfactorily was reported by Mr E. T. Smith, who stated that Taupo was not alone 4n experiencing trouble with the quality of the swivels used for these purposes. He had found recently whilst in Napier that there had been similar trouble there and that it was prevalent throughout the country. Mr Vedder paid tribute to the work carried out by Mr Jock Booth in providing suitable ffttings and added that he was ■, confident that the swings would now i prove to be entirely satisfactory. Change of Bus Terminus A letter was received from the Town Board ensuring the support -of the Board for the Association's move to have the bus * terminus changed from Wairakei to Taupo. It was reported that the Town Board has tak-en up the matter further with the Transport Department and that they had received a reply much more satisfactory than that given to the Association.

Council Elections The nominations of members for the Council in order to ensure that the business community should be adequately represented was discussed. It was agreed that the members should see to it that three or four of their number are nominated when the elections are due. Hawkers The operations of hawkers in and near the town district was referred to by the chairman, Mr Vedder, who expressed strong disapproval of their activities in competition with local tradesmen. "Taupo has grown so much recently," he stated, "that there is now nothing that can not be provided by the legitimate shopkeepers in the community." In the course of the discussion the fact that the local body had no control over the hawkers of foodstuffs was mentioned. These hawkers activities are governed only by the health regulations and the Town Board has no jurisdiction over them. The Association requested Mr Vedder to ask the Town Board to forward a remit to the municipal Conference recommending that the local body should be given greater control over such traders. Delay at Post Office Counter A member of the Association wrote suggesting that a complaint should be lodged with the Post and Telegraph Department regarding the long delays which business people experience at the Post Office counter when it is common to have to wait 25 minutes at a time before being served. The writer stressed the fact that no . complaint ^ against the staff was intended, but tfiat a larger staff was required particularly at holiday time. Members supported the suggestion wholeheartedly and it was decided to send a letter to the Department through the Postmaster requesting that the staff at the Taupo office be increased. Other Post Office Matters A number of other Post Office facilities were discussed, including the instailation of slot phones at the Post Office and other strategic points around the town, such as Rifle Range Road, the Hospital and Waipahihi, the provision of mail boxes at similar points, and the introduction of the full 24-hour telephone servce. It was stated that no further progress ha.d been made in conjunction with the Ratepayers' Association to arrange for a request for a continuous service. As far as the other matters were concerned it was decided to convey the views of the Association to the Postmaster in writing so that they could be forwarded to the Department.