CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 172, 7 December 1912, Page 4

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

QUARTERLY MERTING. There wove present at 'last night's quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman (Mr. F. S. .lohns), ami Messrs. Newton Kin?. C. W. Goveti, W. .1. Penn, ('. H. Burgess, E. Griffiths, .S. Shaw, A. 11. Glasgow, I). K. Morrison, W. J. Chancy, McQuade, J. llayden, 0. X. Firth. .1. Baton, W. Eraser. H. Okey, M.P., A. IT. .Johnstone.

A suggestion was forwarded by the Wellington Chamber embodying the format ioa of a Dominion Association of Chambers. -Members were dubious' as to the efficacy of the proposal, and the letter was referred to the Council. DOMINION ROYAL COMMISSION. Correspondence was received from the Department of Internal Affairs relative to the impending visit of the Dominion's Royal Commission to New Zealand, asking that all written information, together with a precis of points on which it was desired to tend oral evidence, should be sent to the Department. In order to forward it to the Commission in London, it was roqueted that the evidence should reach the Department not later than September :J0 last.

According to the Chairman the - scope of the Commission"' was fairly large, and it might lie possible to obtain evidence as to the industries and dairying resources of the province for inclusion in the report of the Commission, possibly as supplementary evidence. Also it was very important, in view of the oil industry alone, to get the Commission to personally visit New Plymouth. Possibly it might be advisable to persuade the Department to forward the information to India to catch the Commission while, sitting in that country. He also pointed out that H would probably be many months before the Commission reached New Plymouth. He regretted that owing to the letter having been apparently mislaid for some weeks, it had not been acknowledged in time to comply with the request by the. stipulated date". On the motion of Mr. King, the letter was referred to the Council to act upon, supplementary to an apolojry beinc forwarded to the Department'for the "delay in acknowledging its receipt. Tt was decided to invite the Canadian Comnussmner (Mr. Beddoe) to visit New Plymouth under the auspices of tilie Chamber.

TO VISIT OIIURA. Mr. & Shaw touched upon the suggested visit to the back-blocks in Ohura, trusting that it would not be lost sight of. The Chamber should endeavour, °he said, to influence the back country sottelers into looking upon Xew Plymouth as the capital town of Taranaki. At the present, time there was a tendency for them i„ 1„< 1, to Auckland. He thought the Chamber should do everything possible to draw their business to New Plymouth. The expedition could be undertaken after ihe Xew Year, and it should he a pleasant and enjoyable trip for members of the Chamber, and would be appreciated bv the settlers.