PUBLIC BUSINESS

Feilding Star, Volume 8, Issue 2668, 26 August 1930, Page 5

PUBLIC BUSINESS

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

meeting of committee a SHORT ORDER l* APICI! OF INTEREST Tile monthly meeting of the, Orammittoe of the Chamber of Commerce was held last night. There were present, Messrs A. J. Humphreys (President), C. K. Taylor, T. S. Goldsmith, R. Fair, G. T. Lawson, F. J. Alien, A. C. McOnrisiiulale, iS. Moftowall, and G. .J. Fitzpatrick (secrota iv ).

Apologies; were vecivod from Yfossrp J. S. Tifngcy and A. Kington.

NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED

Messrs E. J. Allen and A. Kingston wore elected to fill tho vacancies on the Committee on the motion of tjhc President and Secretary. DISTRICT NURSR ASSOCIATION The Secretary of the District Nurse Association forwarded an invitation to the Chamber to be represented at the annua*! meeting. The Secretary reported ho had attended the meeting and congratulated the Association on its splendid work. WELLINGTON HA.RBOTO BOARD The Wellington Harbour Board forwarded an invitation to the Chamber’s members to view the model of Wellington harbour at the Board’s: office.—Received. IMMIGRATION Tho Department of Immigration forwarded a. (copy /of the annual report. This showed that the total ■number of arrivals in Now Zealand from the United Kingdom and Ireland during the year ended March 31 was 3369- (1763 males /and 1606 females). Out of this total 1790 were assisted to New Zealand by the Imperial and New Zealamd Governments. POSTAL FACILITIES The Secretary reported he had carried out the instructions of last meeting he had spoken to t. k postmaster regarding the mails lrom Wellingtotn to Feilding and the result had teen an improvement. Now, letters posted to 0 p.m. in Wellington were delivered in Feilding at 9 a-.ni. next day. Messrs Goldsmith and Taylor prorposed that the Postal Department he thanked for facilitating the delivery of mails from Wellington for FeildRAILWAYS CONTROL Auckland Chamber forwarded a proposal that the railways should be removed* from political control. Air Fair proposed that this Ctumber support tile proposal of the Auckland Chamber that the State lailvay system shouLL be removed fi tin political control. He pointed out that the present method oi control was unsatisfactory in that it was responsible for the building of lines oi railways which would certainly prove a loss to ti'ie country. Tlie President (seconded the motion pro forma, saying he was not positive in his mind the change proposed would have the desired result. If the railways were made a commercial concern, they might be run without loss, but the /object of t'-iei railways was primarily a service. It should be a self-supporting service if possible He did not think if the railways were removed; from: 'publiicy (control they would continue to give the service they rio-w gave. It was a matter for discussion whether tlie country should in order to save expense, hand over control, or should make service the first duty of the railways.

Political branch lines were the cause, in the opinion of Air McDowall, of the present bad position, of the railway service, and the question was whether .the country would continue to build these political railways.

Mr Taylor said the railways had played m very important pan in the development of the country. Now the railways had a serious rival in the motor transport, and he* thought it would hardly be the right thing now to hand the railways over to! a Board of Directors some lines and services would lie cut out and a. grave injustice might* be done to parts of the country. The Chambers of Oommeroe, he thoiught, should concentrate om persuading the, Government not to undertake any more railway lines unless they were satisfied these lines would ipay. Fven m the* past five years large (expenditures had been undertaken on railways—laying out- of workshops, building new’ stations at Auckland and Wellington etc., which he thought were not justified. It was* too late, thought Air Taylor to hand over the railways to a Board of Directors, but the country should be as careful as possible in handling the service and in making additions to service .

The motion was rejected on the voiice«.