COMMERCE TRAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 256, 29 October 1928, Page 10

COMMERCE TRAIN.

BUSINESS MEN ON TOUR. RECEPTION AT TAHEATUA DELIGHTFUL MOTOR DRIVE. Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WHAKATANE, this day. The residents of Taneatua turned out in large numbers to welcome the Commerce Train when it arrived at ten o'clock last night with about 60 Auckland business men, who are touring the province. Speeches of welcome were delivered by Mr. Walter Reid, the veteran county chairman, and Mr. Vincent Mead, chairman of the Progressive League. Mr. A. G. Lunn responded for the visitors. To-day the visitors were the guests of the Taneatua residents at breakfast, and they were taken by motors for a delightful drive in the rich pastoral country of the converging river valleys. They inspected the Opouriao Valley butter and cheese factory, and also the Ruatoki cheese factory, owned by the same company, which since 1900 has paid for butterfat £1,080,000. On their return to Whakatane, Mr. H. T. Merritt thanked the Taneatua residents for their hospitality, y The party were then taken over by the Wliakatipe local bodies and motored to Whakataifc, via Ohope Beach. They were entertained at luncheon in Whakatane, and motored to Matata and rejoined the tmin.

The travellers spent the night at Rotorua, and thfen returned by train to Putaruru, and motored to Arapuni. The train was stopped, near Pataruru so that the visitors could part of the block of 106,000 acres of pinUs insignia which has been planted in the last four years for commercial purposes. On returning from Arapuni the visitors were entertained at a luncheon, over which Mr. W. Fraser presided. The train then left for tHe Bay of Plenty. The General Managed -of Railways, Mr. H. 11. Sterling, and tlf|e Secretary of Industries and Commerce, Mr. J. W. Collins, joined the train < at Frankton. In an address to the travellers, Mr. Sterling said he felt sure that the lead given to the rest of New (Zealand by Auckland Province in the running of a commerce train would quickly be followed by other provinces. The Department would be prepared to make equally thorough preparations for any.tours of a similar kind. In view,of the fact that the Majority of the travellers on the commerce train are ratepayers of Auckland, and so that the city shall not lose the benefit of their votes on the poll to .be held on Wednesday, a telegram has been sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs requesting that the train be appointed a polling booth in the matter, with Mr. Merritt as returning officer. After driving the commerce train visitors through the district, Mr. A. J. Canning sustained a broken arm while cranking a car, and was taken to the hospital. An expression of sympathy was passed by resolution on the motion of Mr. Merritt at luncheon to-day.