TAURANGA’S FUTURE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 10295, 5 February 1930, Page 3

TAURANGA’S FUTURE

An Encouraging Outlook.

THE DUTIES OF CITIZENSHIP.

la proposing the toast of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce at the social gathering of members of that body last night, Mr C. E. Macmillan, M.P., referred to the fact that during last session of -.Parliament some little discussion had taken place in Parliament regarding the payment by the Government of a small amount to certain Chambers of Commerce. He thought it only right that the Government. through the officers of the various Departments, should take au interest in the activities of those bodies. It was his experience that the Government was always pleased to have the considered opinion of Chambers of Commerce, and he had to thank the Tauranga Chamber for the great assistance it had been to him in making representations to the Government.

| Continuing Mr Macmillan said that Mr Green in the course of his remarks had stated that there were one or two matters in the offing at present which ! if they materialised would prove of considerable benefit to the district; ;That was quite true, and in that conI nection he mentioned the White Island Products Ltd., which had received much consideration from the I harbour board, and as a director of ! that company he thanked the Board for its assistance. There was every prospect of the Island being thoroughly deevloped, and he saw no reason why Tauranga should not be the port of departure for the products of the Island. It was anticipated that sufficient sulphur would be produced from the Island to ship to all parts of the Empire Tauranga harbour was quite capable of handling fairly large sized steamers without any further facilities than those now existing, and with a little encouragement he saw no reason why at no distant date Tauranga should not be a port of call for ocean steamers with slag and other commodities for the district. Mr Macmillan also stressed the advantage it would be to the district to have a "grading store here, as the establishment of such a store would undoubtedly lay the foundation [for direct shipping. It could not be expected, however, that a boat would come here to load dairy produce for many years. In conclusion Mr Mac--1 millan said he was confident the I Chamber was functioning in the in- ■ terests of the people of the district, ,it had a wide and sympathetic out- | look, and was prepared to give every i matter fair consideration.

Replying to the toast, the President of the Chamber, Mr F. N. Christian, said that ou behalf of the Chamber he had to thank Mr Macmillan for the tremendous amount of work he had done for the town, and the splendid response he had made to any requests submitted to him by the Chamber Mr Christian then went ou to review the progress of the town since he came here, and although he had been warned not to come here he had never regretted his decision to do so. He believed that about the time he came the tide had turned in favour of Tauranga, it was still flowing, and’he was confident that at no distant date the town would have twice its present population. He felt, however, that there was not the interest among business men in the activities of the Chamber of Commerce that there should be. There was perhaps too great a feeling of satisfaction. The town possessed two of the finest hydro-electric installations in the Dominion, was served by railway and had a splendid port, and he could not avoid the impression [ that in some directions there was I not that'interest in public affairs that there should be. The district was capable of very great development, and there was a very great field for activity in many directions. The citrus industry must be encouraged, and much could, be done by advertising the attractions of Tauranga as a winter resort in the Southern portions of tho Dominion. Good roads were coming, and it was a fact that there were more changes of ownership going on in those districts served by good roads than in those portions of the county not so fortunate. There were still very large areas waiting development, and every new settler was naturally of benefit to the town and district. Those people who made their money in the town were under an obligation to it, and it was a poor man who would not do something for the benefit of the district in which he dwelt. He trusted that everyone would do his best to assist the Chamber, and through it the district generally.