MASTERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3166, 17 April 1909, Page 5

MASTERTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY, MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Master ton Chamber of Commerce was held in Messrs Abraham and Williams' rooms, yesterday afternoon. There were present:—Messrs G. C. Summerell (in the chair), W. B. Chennells, J. B. Moodie, E. E. Chamberlain, H. Wynn-Williams, A. Henderson and V. E. Donald. The Treasurer reported a credit balance at date of £9 12s 3d. The Palmerston North Chamber wrote ask ng the Masterton Chamber to send a representative to a conference of the Chambers of Commerce between Napier and Carterton including Palmerston North and Feilding for the purpose of discussing general railway facilities between the East and West Coast, more especially in connection with the question of the Main Trunk service as it affected the districts referred to. The date of the conference had been arranged for Tuesday, May 11th. The Masterton Chamber was asked what iterrs they would like to introduce for discussion. It was decided to ask MrJ'J. D. Cruickshank to represent the Chamber at the conference, and failing this arrangement the matter to be left'in the hands of the chairman and secretary. ,

A letter was received from the General Manager of Railways in connection with the petition from the Chamber on behalf of the cab and express owners and drivers of Masterton, praying for the acceleration of the arrival of the New Plymouth and Palmerston train to Masterton, which is now timed to arrive at Masterton at 9.55 p.m. The matter had been fully investigated, and it was found that the request could not be granted. The train in question served» that portion of Wairarapa between Woodville and Masterton, and had to work goods as weil as passenger traffic. The passenger business altogether was insufficient to warrant it. being run as a fast passenger service. The railway time table had, as far as possible, to be arranged on lines that would oest serve the .whole of the district through which the train ran, and it was regretted that the alteration could not be made in the direction suggested. As the matter wa<» to be dis- [ cussed at the forthcoming Palmerston North Conference, the letter was not dealt with. The secretary of the East Coast Railway League, Napier, forwarded the report of the conference of delegates of local bodies at which the East Coast Railway League was formed. The conference was held for the purpose of considering the proposed cjnstruction of a railway connecting Napier and Gisborne, via Wairoa, and to decide what measures should be taken to forward the work. The letter was received.

The Secretary of the Carterton I Chamber of Commerce wrote conveying the thanks of his Council for the communication's on the subject of the railway timetable, expressing their willingness to assist in any movement that'made for better passenger and postal service facilities. The letter was received. A letter was received from Mr Donald Donald with reference to the apnroaching conference at Sydney of Chambers of Commerce from all parts of the British Empire. Mr Donald expressed his willingness to act as one of the representatives for at the Conference. Mr Moodie said he understood this was dealt with at the conference in Wellington. Mr Chermells considered Mr Donald's suggestion an excellent one, in view of the fact that Mr Donald would be in Sydney during the conference. He moved that the Secretary of Chambers uf Commerce, at Wellington, be written to suggesting Mr Donald as one of the representatives. Mr Moodie seconded the motion, which was carried.