CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 95, 7 September 1912, Page 4

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

QUARTERLY MEETING. ( The quarterly meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce was held last night. The president (Mr. F. 8. Johns) was in the chair, and other members present were .Messrs C. H. Burgess, J. B. Connett, C. E. Baker. A. C. Goldwater, D. K. Morrison, C. W. Govett, A. McHardy, J. Paton, W. J. Penn, W. Ambury, IT. Brown, E, Griffiths, A. 11. Johnstone, C. 11. Weston. A number of apologies were received for non-attendance. ADVERTISING MOUNT EG MONT. Complaint was recently made by the Chamber that the Tourist Department was to all intents and purposes dead to the fact that Taranaki had such a scenic attraction as Mount Egmont. A letter was read from -Mr. 11. Okey, M.P., stating that Mr. Newton King and the writer had waited upo* the Minister in charge of tourist affairs and suggested that the new North Egmont House should be included among the tourist resorts. The Minister stated that he had had a number of applications from members to have different routes included, and if the New Plymouth Chamber would send forward a route to connect the house he would consider its inclusion. The chairman (Mr. Johns) intimated that he had forwarded to the Minister, through Mr. Okey, an enclosure for inclusion in the Department's booklets. In the course of this Mr. Johns pointed out that to the botanist Mount Egmont provided a rich store of specimens, and that a week could be profitably spent on its slopes. Besides the climb to the summit there were many points of interest to visit, and a week or two could be spent in "doing" the various walks or spending the time quietly in the local surroundings. Mention was also made by the president of the new concrete hostelry, furnished, and fitted with complete sanitary arrangements, and lighted by electricity, at a total cost of £3500, and the facility by which it could be approached from New Plymouth. NELSON-NEW PLYMOUTH STEAMER -SERVICE. Replying to the Chamber's letter re garding the necessity of obtaining better steamer communieation between Wellington. Nelson and New Plymouth, the secretary of the Nelson Chamber of Commerce intimated that "that body would be happy to co-operate with a view to improvement. Nelson had, the letter noted, had already made strong representations to the Union Company on the subject, and would continue to agitate. . Mr. Pearson,' branch manager of the Union Company, also wrote to the Chamber to the following effect: —"In reply to yours of July -2, and "further to one of July 16, we beg to advise that we are in receipt of advice from our head office that after going into this matter they think it is perhaps inadvisable to lay down a fixed programme for the Rosamond, but will keep in mind alternating the Rosamond with the Corinna from Nelson in order to provide a weekly service from that port to New Plymouth." The chairman, in commenting on the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, intimated that he had again communicated with the Union Company, who, however, were unable to give any definite promise of improvement. BACKBLOCK ROADS. Mr. A. V. Schwietcrs (secretary of the Kotare Progressive Committee) asked the Chamber to co-operate with his committee by using its influence with the Public Works Department in the matter of pushing on the formation of the Papakino road to connect with the Strat-ford-Ongarue railway. This was the closest outlet for their produce, and should be formed in time tb connect with the railway when , it reached Tangarakau. Mr. E. G. Claudv (secretary of r.he Waitaanga Settlers' Association) wrote stating that that body was desirous that the Prime Minister should, when visiting Ohura in November, as promised, be induced to make his journey to and .'run Mangaroa by way of the Tongaponitii road. This* road, noted the secretary, brought New Plymouth within 70 miles of the fertile Ohura county, and also opened up a large tract of dairying land at Waitaanga. It was therefore of vita: importance to the settlers of Ohura and the business people of New Plymoutu tr. have the Tongaporutu-Mangaroa road opened as soon as possible. On the motion of Mr. Penn, the president and himself AV«re asked to wait upon the District Engineer of the Roads Department to ascertain, if possible, what work was proposed to be done durinw the coming summer on the OkauMangaroa and Papakino roads. The matter of replying to the letters was left in their hands after enquiry. GENERAL. The latest manifesto of the Ohmemuri Goldfields Engine-drivers' and Fivemen's Union was to hand from the secretary of that body, but no action was The Napier Chamber wrote point in™ out the inequitable agreement which had been entered into between the New Zealand cement manufacturers and jjie transport branch of the New Zealand Federation of Labor, whereby workers refused to handle cement from outside of New Zealand contained in casks lined with zine, tin or galvanised iron, but agreed to New Zealand manufacturers putting theirs up into bags.—No action was taken in the matter. It was decided to merely receive a letter to hand from the Wanganui Chamber complaining of the closing of the railway goods sheds at 4.30 p.m. instexd of 5 p.m.