WAITEMATA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 115, 18 May 1927, Page 14

WAITEMATA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

EAST COAST ROAD.

CONFERENCE TO BE ARRANGED.

The Waitemata Chamber of Commerce met at Devonport last evening, Mr. G. Minchin presiding. A resolution congratulating the members of the Borough Council, and assuring them of the sympathetic co-operation of the chamber, wae carried. Reports on the vexed question as to which party should bear the costs of replacing the direct current electric motors, now in use, with the alternating current motors, required for the remodelled system of power distribution used by the Waitemata Power Board, showed that in most cases an amicable arrangement between the motor user and the Power Board had been arrived..at; it was hoped that the other cases would be settled without hardship. The policy of the Government and the Waitemata Connty Council in "—othering" the East Coast Road was not approved of by the chamber, which decided to arrange for a meeting of the Devonport, Takapunay and East Coast Road residents, at an early date to have the whole matter ventilated. Mr. Walsh, in moving the motion to call the meeting, said the proposed highway route from Birkenhead to Albany and onwards left the East Coast areas wholly unprovided Jor; this ridge road carried nine-tenths of all the northbound traffic," and was now, as it has been for 75 years, the actual highway north. The 500 motor ./vehicle users in Devonport and Takapuna, as well as those from the city, who use the road, are to be appealed to for help. The probability of the recent commission on metropolitan water supplies recommending a City Council controlled water board, with the North Shore being supplied from the Waitakeres with water at 2/3 per 1000 gallons, was not regarded as likely to help the Shore progress. The needs of the boroughs under the Town Planning Act were outlined by Mr. Walsh, who explained the proposal to hold a conference of the city and local bodies to formulate a regional town planning scheme, in which each local body woulc be responsible for its own part. The speaker considered that the Act in Its present form was' going to be found unworkable, and would have to be recast. The financial bnrdena imposed by the carrying out of the town planning schemes Were going to be a heavy tax on the loca bodies. Mr. Kennings advised keeping t close watch on the proposals, as they would naturally have paramount influence on the industrial and commercial activities of the communities. The vital need for a North Shore Transport Board was mentioned by the chairman, and steps are to be taken to combine all the North Shore interests in time to petition the next session of Parliament to set up such a board. The Mayor of Auckland, speaking recently at Devonport, remarked that he hoped the North Shore would shoulder its own traffic handling. The next meeting of the. chamber will be held at Takapuna, when consideration is to be given to suggesting methods for attracting more population to the North Shore. ■ ' •■