NELSON NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 86, 10 April 1924, Page 13

NELSON NEWS

THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

(FROM OUR OWN COnRESPONDENT.) . ' . NELSON, 9th April. The monthly meeting of tha Nelson Chamber1 of Commerce was held last evening, when, there was a large attendance, air.' P. C. Hurst (president) was in the chair. Apologies for absenoe were made by the president for Mr. A. Gilbert and the Hon. W. W. Snodgrass. , • The secretary, Mr. E.'. E. Neale, read the' following correspondence :— From Korere, stating that Mr. R. P. Hudson, M.P., had promised to inspect the proposed deviation of tbo main i-oad by way of Rainy River and Hope Saddle, . and . asking the. chamber to be re? presented.. Mr. Menziea (County' Engineer) was ' appointed to . represent the chamber. From Karamea Progress League regarding Karamea track or road, and asking the Chamber to again take up the matter. .Mr. Macmahon said they had supported it strongly before, but. tho ■Government Engineer had reported against it. He had since been told there was no difficulty.! The chamber should, support it. Mr." Ledger said that the Wellington officials w^re most emphatic that the cost would be £5000. On, the .motion, of Mr. Macmahon the'foK lowing committee was deputed to<go into' the matter: Messrs. 'P. C. Hurst, F./ T. Ledger, and the secretary (Mr. E R. Neale). ! , Thd Wellington Chamber of Commerce asked for endorsement of the following resolution by thai body: "That the chamber requests the Government, to' urge the'lmperial authorities to establish a. standing Economic Committee." The fololwing. officers were elected all unopposed: President, Mr. J. A. Mitchell ; vice-president, , Mi-. A. Gould ; council, • Messrs. Fi I. Ledger, F. G. Gibbs, C. R. Fell',: T. Neale,- E. H.. Thompson;, H. R. Duncan, A. Gilbert, P. C. Hiirst, !C. A. Hunter, the Hoh. W. W. Snodgrass; Progress Committee, Messrs. F. G. Gibbs (convener),* F. I. Ledger, T. ,A. ; H:. Field, A. Robinson, J. E. Menzies, C. Milne,: and the Hon. W. \V. Snodgrass; honorary auditor,; Mr. W. Rout. A resolution thanking Mr. Rout for his. services during the year was passed. The president said Mr! H. Atmore, M.P., had inquired if there was a possibility of .a Nelson bay at the Wellington Winter Carnival, , It was left to the secretary to get particulars. . The retiring president thanked' members for the support-accorded |him during the. past year.'" He assured them'that they, had' all helped to make the office a pleasant one, and said, the remainder of the. evening 'would be devoted vto a' lectarette by Professor ..Easterfield. . The announcement . was received ■ ,with loud applause, ... . ■-.. Professor Easterfield took for his subject, "Trade Waste." His. object was, he said/^to draw attention'to: the possibility of conducting, any trade.. withoutwaste of energy, labour, or material. Success depended on the. ability to eliminate waste,, and the possibility of utilising .by-products. The' professor,- in a j very, interesting and instructive way, told of. the achievements in' this direction in .the iron smelting industry. He nest dealt with the production', of coal gas.by both vertical ■ and 'horizontal reports, „ saving that care should' be Exercised', before., deciding to install vertical retorts in Nelson, as the tar produced, there was not too good. The coke also '.was inferior. In'dealing with the flax industry, ho recommended that the refuse from the stripp.ers be returned to the swamp as' a fertiliser. When this course had" been- followed the leaf had been'found.to.increaso-'50 per cent, in size.:_ The pure alcohol - that could be obtained from the flax refuse amounted to 4 per.cent.i and.the lecturer exhibited a phial of' alcohol distilled from flax waste. Higher yields were obtained by fermenting the. refuse with pentoso, destroying bacteria. The concluding portion of tlio lecture', dealt with the fruit industry, v. In this-industry it was clairried that byproducts had not quite neglected; he mentioned the cider in-' du3try. Selling, storing, and1 cool chambering, .and the drying of apples were all dealt with.! .The drying process in New.Zealand was yet in the primitive staae^ although during the war a New Zealander, a Mr.. Morton, had used a good mothrid in Great Britain, and some excellent-looking samples produced !by Mr. .Morton had been 'exhibited in Messrs. Buxton's' windows in\Nelson. There. might be a future for the export ■of dried fruit if freights allowed the sale at a price that could compete with ■the U.S.A, product. They should look ahead, examine "each proposal critically, and, not go in for any scheme, blindfolded. The lecturer was warmly applauded '• at the close of' . the -lecture, which had.-been listened \o with rapt attention. . ■ . „ Mi-'. P. O. Hufst hoped that arrangements would be made for -further lectures during the-coming winter, and he :ha.d the -utmost pleasure in moving a vote .of thanks, to Professor Easterfield for. his instructive address, and to Mr. "Davies, who had .drawn ,the i blackboard diagrams. The motion, was''carried by acclamation. , ■ ' ' ' i

Mr. S. W. Fenemor, of Tapawera, has secured five cuts frgm his lucerne stand this season. The Jast cut took . longer Hp mature, owing to the cold nights experienced at Tapawera last month This was one of the first prize plots in the recent lucerne-growing competition.": The delegates attending the Qddfellows' Conference at present being held in Nelson were taken for a motor drive through the appls lands to-day. About half-a-dozen big cars were necessary to acepmrnodate all the visitors. The day was beautifully fine. . '. , One of Nelson's oldest and well-known dwellings was destroyed by,, fire yesterday morning. The building was a nineroomed one at Bishopdale, owned, and occupied, by Mr. W. S. Gale}-; and for nearly 40, years was tho home of the York family. Practically everything the house contained was lost. ' Mr. Galey purchased the properly only a short time aS6, and lie is a heavy loser by the fire. The' insurances are 4450 on the buildihtr, £300 on furniture, and effects, and f\so on a piano, all in'the South' British office. . . • ' ■