STATE ECONOMY

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 63, 8 December 1931, Page 11

STATE ECONOMY

Discussion by Chambers CHARGES FOR POSTAGE. Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, December 7. “Government economy had dominated all other matters for discussion at the annual meeting of the chambers of commerce,” said Mr.* H. S. Burgess, at the meeting of the Wanganui body to-night. During to-night’s meeting a protest was entered against the charge of twopence for letters delivered in the cities in which they were posted. The president was of the opinion that the Government was losing a considerable amount of revenue through this policy, because many firms were having letters delivered in the town when at ordinary times they would have them posted. It was decided to send a letter to the Minister of the Post and Telegraph Department. , > Expressing views regarding the excessive expenditure on public works, a letter was received from the Associated Chambers of Commerce. The Wanganui president said that Wanganui had been so well favoured that there had been very few public works in the district for some time. It was decided to refer the question of expenditure on public works and the advisability of letting contracts to private firms in the interests of economy to the works committee. Payment of unemployment tax by private firms whose shareholders resided outside New Zealand was questioned by Mr. R, L. Thompson, who '' thought that it was unfair that firms could come from Australia and take New, Zealand' business without paying unemployment tax when New Zealand ' firms had to do so. It was mentioned that unconditional income , tax had to be paid by such firms, and the whole question was referred to the Associated Chambers of Commerce. Two circulars signed C. W. Owen, pamphleteer for Western Samoa, and dated from Glebe, Hobart, Tasmania, advocating the secession of Samoa from New Zealand and suggesting complete . forgiveness of Nelson were, on the motion of the president, unanimously consigned to the wastepaper basket. The proposed alteration of the times of departing and arriving of the Auck-land-Wellington express were discussed by the chamber after a letter of protest had been received from the Marton chamber, and it was decided that it would be inconvenient and uneconomical if the present times were to be altered. It was pointed out that a large section of the Wanganui public used the Limited and second express, and it was also stated that the altered time would dislocate the timetable for the Ongarue-Stratford line when it was completed in some nine months’ time. The chamber resolved to protest against any alteration of the timetable, and a telegram was sent to the Hon. E. Newman at Auckland to that effect.