CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1922, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PROVINCIAL ACTIVITIES. •Several matter* of interest to th< business community of New Plymouth and of the public generally were discussed at the quarterly meeeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce on Friday night. Mr. T. C. List (president) presided over a fair attendance. RETURNS SHOWING EXPORTS. Further to the Chamber’s protest* regarding the absence of details in the Government statistician’s reports of the exports from New Plymouth which were transhipped at Wellington and which were included in that port’* export figures, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. Downie Stewart) advised thai he had considered the matter but was unable to accede to the Chamber’s request to have the figures shown separately. He added that he was arranging for the tables at present published in the monthly abstract of statistics to be extended somewhat in detail, and that an endeavour would be made, as from January 1, to indicate the quantities of the principal items of export for each port. The President said that the reply was inadequate. There should be no difficulty in giving them the information they desired, —the value and volume of the exports from the Taranaki portt—as well as showing in detail the exports from the ports of departure Mr. W. Penn thought the Chamber had not pushed its protest strongly enough when the alteration was made, and he thought it would be very difficult to get the department to make another alteration now.

Mr. List said they did not want the department to make any alteration, but merely to amplify the present returns to show the production of the province. He could not see that a great aanpunt of additional work was involved.

Mr. F. S. Johns said that he took it that the department would have all the information they required relating to Taranaki supplied to them. The chairman added that Wellington could have all the glory it liked so long as they got the information they desired.

It was finally decided that a committee comprising the chairman and Messrs Johns and Fraser wait on the local customs officer to obtain further information and submit it to the Council of the Chamber. TELEPHONE SERVICES. The chairman advised that he had forwarded to the Pio Pio Party Lines Association a copy of a letter he bad received from the Chief Postmaster intimating that the matter of giving Pip Pio, Te Kuiti and other places all night connections with New Plymouth was already under consideration, and that it was expected that a scheme would shortly be evolved giving the desired facilities. Mr. List said that the Chamber had been pleased to be of assistance to the people concerned, but he wanted to acknowledge the assistance they had received from the Chief Postmaster at New Plymouth, who was very sympathetic towards the baekblocks. and always ready to help the Chamber in any way he could. THE SYDNEY TRIP. Speaking of the proposed direct boat to S/dney about March or April, the chairman said that a good many inquiries had been received, and it looked us if the trip was assured. The manager of the Union Steamship Company had advised him that he was as yet unable to give the Chamber any particulars of the steamers leaving for Sydney in February, but, a« soon as the present trouble with the seamen waa settled, he would be able to. OTHER MATTERS. Advice that the postage rates and charges for inland telegrams were now under consideration and that the Chamber’s representations in that connection had been noted, was received from the secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department. When a letter from the Automobile Association of New Zealand was read suggesting the formation of a branch in New Plymouth, the chairman mentioned that he had no doubt that such an association would be of benefit to motorist*. and that probably early in the new year a meeting of those concerned would be called to discuss the project.

The recent correspondence with the Hawera Chamber of Commerce regarding the charges in benzine by direct shipment at New Plymouth was read. Further advice from the Chamber was awaited.

The matter of shipping rate* from Singapore to New Plyonouth was also mentioned,, and it was stated that the recently issued schedule of rates which had put the port of New Plymouth almost on top of the list a* far as freight rates were concerned, had- been taken up by the Wellington Giambpr of Commeioo, and it had been ascertained that a mistake ha.l been made in compiling the schedule. The matter had since been adjusted. The following new mombe r s were elected: Mcssr* S. E. Shaw, R H. Saunders, C. Champion, Blair Ma<=cn, Lee and Owen, Dr. Milroy, and the New Plymouth Sash and Door Factory.