TARANAKI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 41, 13 March 1909, Page 6

TARANAKI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

IJUAKTEIUA MEEILNG. Thi' quarterly meeting of (he Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, held last night, was attended by Mean's T. C. Seluiiickenberg (chairman), C. 11. 'Burgess, U. Kunisun, J. C. Morey, D. K. iluriion, A. 11. Steeds, I'irtli, R. C. Hughes, F. S. Johns, W. J. Peun, S. W. Shaw, and T. 0. List. Apologies were received from .Messrs A. 11. Glasgow, M. t'mscr and A. H. Arnold. PROPOSED CONGRESS.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce requested the Chamber to send delegates to a congress of Chambers of Commerce at Wellington ou 13th April next. A list of thirty subjects for discuss'mn was forwarded.—Referred to the council. BANKRUPTCY' LAW. The Attorney-General asked the Chamber for suggestions regarding the proposed amendment of the bankruptcy law. The matter had been previously considered, and the letter was referred to the tmiiicil to bring any recommendation under the notice of the Attorney-

STHA'ITOIiIJ-OXIi.UU'E RAILWAV.

.Mr. (i. ('. Stevenson, of Mangaroa, wrote in reference to lili' rontf of tin' Siiiitfovil-Maiii Trunk line at the northern I'inl.- The Chamber declined to take a baud in tin- "battle or routes." ilr, W. .1. I'i'iin took charge of .Mr. leaser's notice of motion to tin; ell'ctl Uml the Chamber should u.|tproui-li the various Ta-.anaki ClianiluMV. ili;nviiig atluniion .in tile fact thai owing to the opening of the Main Trunk line Taranaki was aow cut oil' from the main stream of Irallie, anil urging their cooperation in demanding that the (iuveriiineiil should push on rapidly with the construction of the Stratford-Onga-rue line, lie wonhl anienil it by [lulling in a less strenuous word than "demand." tor the Government was already pushing on with all possible speed the construction of the line from the Taraiiuki end. Of the two suggested routes at the other end the Waitewhenua route was the better, although the Alaiigtiroa folk were very anxious for the (Inga.nic connection, on the ground that by this route thc.v would lie only ■>:> miles from the main line, a.s against 411 milts by the rival route. Jiut the W-aitCwhcnua route would shorten the Ta,rau.aki-to-Auckland journey by 17 miles, and it ran through good Crown land and Crown deposits. The Ongiiruc route led through a lot of Maori land and poor pumice country. It was stated that the Government was to some extent tied to the authorised line to Ongarue, as that route had been shown , on'thi' plans, of the Crown lands recently sold in the district. But he thought it better to change the route and ]>ay compensation to the occupiers of that land than to perpetuate an error. He repeated that as far a.s the Stratford end of the railway was concerned, the Government was pushing oa with all possible speed. .Mr. liui'gess: Then what's the reason for tliiis motion'; Mr. I'eiiu: We might urge them t« settle the junction. It was possible, of courso, that it was already settled, for Ike Minister and Chief Engineer kad been over the routes together a week

ag Ur. Burgess disagreed with that portion (it the motion which alleged that New Plymouth was out of the world, so tu speak. New Plymouth had not suil'cmt as yet from the opening of the Main Trunk line, except that the llaibor bond was losing liv the reduced number „f passengers paying toll. lint our train and mail services were as good '\\lr -Mills thought the motion might tie confined to deling with the necessity for settling the matter of route. Mr. Hughes Ejected to the preamble, which seemed like an advertisement lor •i loneliness and poverty which did noi exist. licallv, there was no need for the motion, 'it had been mentioned to th,. (iovcrnment that Taranaki wauled this railway pushed on. and it was being pushed 'on. When a horse was pulling his best, what was the use of whipping liini'4 , ~ , J ~, Mr Penn said he was inclined towila- ,!,,,«•' the motion. Taranaki folk, he added, were interested very little » p.i-l.iiifr »n the work at the. other end. and the Manga roa folk were still less concerned about linking tip with laraM Mr. List said he had the IV iev - -' word that the Covernnient intended making the Slrutford-Ongaruc ru.hv.iv if „ot the biggest work, at least one of (be main works, and would push on with it so as to make it. rcvenue-pro-diic'm" Sir Joseph Ward had stated Ins preference for the authorised route. ju4 also announced the intention o'l the Government to put on large numbers ■ I men. with all the m-ccs.-ary rrohvayuiil'ii" "ear as soon as the Mam I rum; line h-.uU.eeii completed. That promise had been- and was being carried our. „„d it was hardly likelv that the work would ease oil'. He therefore thought it «uitc idle (o pass the motion. li (here wen- iinv slackening oil' it would be a .lilVi-ic.nl' matter. The Chamber

could then act and ad vigorously. air. Johns said that Mr. McKcnzic. the new district engineer who had succeeded Mr. Cook, had sent Mr. Dyson, surveyor, a.way out to the fronl. That looked like business. The motion was withdrawn. TUB MOKATJ-MOHAKATIXO. IH/H'K. Mr. G. Jacob, of Mokau, asked Hie C'lmmVwv to urge upon the authorities (he nci'cssitv for immediately opening up the land'known as the Moknu-Moha-kalino block. It seemed that the liti-

nation was now at am end. "" Mr. Hushes said that the decision of the Supreme Court at Wellington had justified Mr. Jacob's opinion that litigation was at an end. for the Court had given (he verdict against Mr. Jones and refused leave to appeal. But he had mauatn-d lo get the matter before Parliament, and the Gov.-rume.it would probably art during next session of Parliament. Upon the motion of Messrs R. 0. ITiedies and C. 11. Burgess, it was decided ']o urge the Government to acquire the freehold and leasehold interests in the Mol;an and Mohakatino block, and open 'the same for settlement, A NBW .DUPAETURK.

The president brought, up the malt"i' of arranging for a coutcreiice with the Taranaki members of Parliament before

proceeding to the sessions in Wellington. This was an opportune time to move, for Ihe personnel of members had undergone considerable change. Ho suggest ed that on the date of the. annual meet-rag a dinner might be arranged at which 'tin: Chamber could entertain (he M.l"s. and other representative men of the province, lie moved that steps be taken to arrange Mich a conference prior to next session. Mr. O. H. Burgess seconded pro forma, but would like lo hear lir.t what business il was proposed ly. brin U ' before the members of Parliament. Mr. Johns agreed, and said that uiiforluunlidv there were conllictiug ialer-

esls in Taranaki. lie Uiught the matter should he referred lo the council. Al the same time he favored the general idea, even if il, were only for (he purpose of making (he annual mectiag "not quite so tame." T T , < . t

Th,. president mi id that the point of their representations to the members would be to work for the opening up of (he back country. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce had, up till fen years ago, been very modest, always taking a back M'ul. (Voice: Like Taranakil. lint then they suggested meeting the members oi I'arliament, and were .surprised at the iiiianiinih will, which flic idea was hailed. Now the (.'humlrr would never dream of allowing the M.l'.'s to proceed to Parliament without having this confcreitce and dinner first, so that they became fully acquainted with Auckland's needs.

Mr. Hughes rather liked tlie idea, hut thought it would be better to have the conference lirst. and a supper afterwards. It was a new thing, and the sooner New Plymouth took up some new things the better. Mr. Shaw was of opinion that, before deciding the question the list of subjects for discussion should be defined. Mr. Burgess, as a member of the council, would decline to accept tlie instruction of the Chamber to entertain the members of Parliament, and so on. Ho thought the Council should decide whether or not to go on.

Mr. I'emi moved, as an amendment, that it be a suggestion to the Council that the twentieth anniversary (hi May next) of the foundation of the ("ham•ber lie celebrated by holding a dinner in conjunction with the annual meeting, to which Taranaki members' ot the Legislature and other representative men

diould be invited. The president withdrew his motion,

saying that lie was satisfied in having brought the mailer to the favourable notice of the members. The keynote of the success uf such a function would be unanimity, the nwito oi every man being " Kor Taranaki." The motion was carried neni con. THAT WKIGH-BRI1)GE. Mr. Firth drew attention once mo-, to the unsatisfactory nature of the weigh-bvidge in the railway yards. Last week the cargoes of two coal steamers were weighed on this weigli-bridge, one turning out 40 tons over and the other 17 tons short. Most of the trucks were built to carry 10 tons, but there were some holding about 1(1 tons. Theae were ■weighed one end at a time—a ridiculous system. The other day a waggon \reignecl by this method was weighed again after two cartloads "nail been taken out of it. and it then weighed two tons more than at first!' Mr. Penn said the District Traffic Manager had assured a deputation in his hearing that the practice of weighing in the fashion described by Mr. Firth lind been found to be absolutely accurate. Mv. Firth moved that the matter be brought before the notice of the Minister of Railways during his forthcoming

visit to New Plymouth. Mr. D. K. Morrison said lie didn't believe that there was a weighbridge in the colony that would weigh the big truck mentioned by Mr. Firth. The motion wis carried.