HASTINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 11

HASTINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

:-.■■;;.;-;..;v; ; \'- : ,;..»:. ... ..'.' ;.V j ~'. WORKERS' TRAINS AND,-THE CANNING ■;/■;■://:::--:'--. V ;'N industry;- '.\■;> ; : ;;.;.v ; ;' {BY TEtEQBAPH—SPBOUIi CORRESPONDENT.) .'•.' ■riVti-::0'/.;:i;. -'.= >;Hastings, May- 2.'" :'..'' In supporting:, a. motion proposed at the Chamber of Oomino'rco-7 i th'at' tho ■' Minister for■ 'Railways''-bo: asked to "run a :■ workers' train,: at' suitable 'hours,; to and from' Napier at,.^'reduced'■ fares, as' granted*' elsewhere— after.' citing! the , various 'industries •' that would:'bo {benefited;, thereby, Mr. E. Basil Jones, • manager of the i'fimley canning fac-tory,;-said he was more desirous to see a reduction made in workers' fares in.the case of the- H'riraley canning factory, where- a •large .number!of- girls ;were employed.. They had to draw; on Napier, and even on Wellington, .for ihb'number required; At. present they were employing- seventeen. Napier girisj-iwho'j .if they-,were:;.under 21, years, of age, could get" "apprentices'. tickets," ;costhig abiut. 2s; Sd. per ; week, but if they happened to bo Older, they had to pay 6s. 3d. a week, '■ in-order to';earn' £l a'week.' Tho canuing - industry was not going to stop on its present, footing.- Now:':they employed 90 girls, but - ; in four years - someSOO or 400 would .be: required.: ..At present they could do with another 40 .'from Napier, but they could not get'them.on account of the high train. fares, He'• thought the Minister should bo asked to give workers' trains '.to and from Napier at'.'reasonablo .rates;- especially as reduced workers' fares were granted between Ohristchurch and, Lyttelton,' Dunedrn ..and Port .Chalmers, and Inve'rcargill and' the 'Blulf. ■-..:' : --i : ,:;':'■■'v,- 1 ;' .: -} : The motion was carried, and' a : sub-com-mittee, 'consisting, of''Sir Wm. Russell, Mr. H. Lan Sirason. and, Mr.. E...Basil Jones, : was appqirited to-collect the-necessary facts in support of .the resolution, "and if necossary: to form a deputation to wait,-on the Minister. '.' - ; '-' ..,'-' VALUATIONS COMPLAINED OP. - At.-tho same, meeting, Sir Wm....Russell (chairman), in introducing tho question of the Government graduation of lands in Hastings; instanced' a case whore a piece of land, between the road and tho railway, was valued at £200 an acre, whilst a lot furthof out was valued at £600 an acre. In the discussion which followed, it was stated that it /was ridiculous for the Government to havo-sent a perfect, stranger to value this district, although, perhaps, ho had made his valuations as the Government wantid him to'do,'and that,a number :ofcases were now in tho hands of solicitors asking .-for a 'revaluation, further, consideration was deferred. ■ '-.- A:, hiotion was also carried unanimously congratulating Sir Joseph Ward on his action in making an oifer ;of a Dreadnought to tho British nation. v ' ' I •.'-'■■ - ■ '•■ '