THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 80, 14 January 1928, Page 4

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Sir,—lt was with considerable surprise I read the remarks attributed to members of the Mid-Canterbury Farmers' Union with reference to the local Chamber of Commerce and published in last night's issue of the "Guardian." As these remarks, unless officially challenged, may give a very wrong impression of the work done by the Chamber in the interests of both town and country, I feel it incumbent upon me to place several facts before your readers. Mr Wills is reported to have said that the Chamber had not held a meeting since he had been appointed the Union's representative last August. As a matter of fact, the Chamber has held three meetings since the date of his appointment, but that he had been appointed to the Chamber -was not notified until the middle of December and consequently all notices were forwarded to the late representative of the Union, Mr H. Watts.

Since Mr Wills was elected to the Chamber the following matters have been dealt with, and a glance will impress the reader with the fact that the majority of these are in the interests of the farmers who now criticise this oublic body: Review of inter-Island freights with view to reduction: improvement in the prevention of damage to produce by weather when being loaded on to ship; improvement in trucking facilities at both Ashburton and Tinwald; more thorough and regular repairing of railway tarpaulins: proper dusting of express railway carriages; delay of afternoon train, north, on occasion of A. and P. Show; reduction in railway carriage of broken metal for roads; itinerant traders operating in this town; the appointment of a Universal Discount date for retailers: the consolidation of mercantile commissions. Bearing in mind that Mr Wills was appointed in August and the annual meeting of the Chamber was held in September a perusal of the above list will convince readers that the Chamber is not dead.

It is not my intention to take each of the above matters individually, but the question of inter-Island freights makes a good example to show the work the Gliamber does in endeavouring to improve existing conditions. The consensus of opinion in the Chamber was that inter-Island freights were too high and instructions were given to protest to the TJanterbury Chamber of Commerce and the Shipping Company. Considerable correspondence passed between these bodies and the matter was thoroughly investigated. Finally it was found that under present labour conditions it was impossible and unreasonable to expect any reduction in these freights. A copy of the correspondence and a tabulated form setting out the charges incurred in shipment of the various lines of produce from Ashburton to Auckland was forwarded to the Mid-Canterbury Farmers' Union but up to the moment this has neither been acknowledged nor has any criticism been made. , The remarks attributed to the President of the Chamber (Mr E. O. Rawnsley) are not correct as reported. Members have not been called together for the simple reason that it is difficult to obtain attendances for any meeting of any body during the summer months, more especially since the institution of Daylight Saving, and where matters could be attended to by the various subcommittees of the Chamber this has been done in preference to calling a general meeting of members. In conclusion, I would point out that it has never been the practice of the Chamber of Commerce to publish its doings from the house-tops, but I would acquaint'< readers with the fact that a Chamber of Commerce is a channel for the ventilation of public matters recognised throughout the world I can assure the Farmers' Union that this Chamber continues and will continue to do good work.

W. B. THOMAS, Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.