MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 29 March 1913, Page 5

MINISTERIAL VISIT.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DISAPPOINTED.

ANOTHER EVOLUTION PASSED.

At the meeting of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce yesterday, the ■President (Mr Daniell) reported what had been done in the matter of entertaining Ministers on the occasion of their forthcoming visit. Mr Daniell expressed disappointment at the way in which things were going. He considered it was now almost too late to make the Ministerial visit effective. Still, they were at tlie mercy of the Minister." Several Wellington and other prominent people had expressed their intention of (visiting the district with the Ministers. A bugbear to Wcllngton business people was the Rimutaka railway. These men preferred to travel along the Manawatu line. Mr J. C. Cooper: All the more reason why the bugbear should be removed! Mr Daniell thought there was a prospect of several leading Wellington .people coming over the hill. The more they could get on the occasion of the Ministerial visit the better. The Wellington people seemed to look upon Masterton as a pocket borough. Mr Cooper stated that if "Wellington business people showed the same enterprise as the people of Auckland, the 'Pongarca line would have been put through long ago. .Mr J. Brown pointed out that Auckland firms were already securing trade from Pongaroa and other parts of the Forty-Mile- Bush. After further discussion, in which •several members expressed dissatisfaction, at the indefinite reply received from the Minister in regard to his visit, it was resolved, "That with regard to the invitation given bv the Oh am her to the Hon. the Minister for Public 'Workst to visit the district, the Chamber expresses its disappointment at the non-fulfilment of his acceptance of the invitation, and would point out that the near approach of winter and bad roads will-interfere with tho proposed visit to the back country amd that the Minister be urged to make his visit in the near future."