CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4476, 17 February 1917, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL Yesterday afternoon the monthly meeting of the Council of the Cham-, her of Commerce ’ was held, the president, Mr J. W. Bright, presiding. There were also present Messrs Lawless, Redstone, Barry, Corson, Kells, Albrecht, Fenwick, Ashton, Machefl and Hamilton Irvine, Secretary. The Chamber was requested by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce to support a- resolution to the effect that negotiations for peace, enemy Governments should be compelled to replace ton for ton all ships destroyed during the war. It was decided to approve of the resolution.

The following committees were appointed : —General: Messrs Bright, Kells, and Foster. Produce and Shipping: Bright. Wachsmann, Red'stone and Long. Parliamentary: Messrs E. Reece, Toneydjffe and Barry. Mr Albrecht suggested that in future the meetings of the Chamber should be held at night. He thought that the afternoon was an awkward time for holding a lheeting. From the expressions of disprove! of the suggestion it was evident that meetings at night were not popular, so Mr Albrecht’s suggestion was hastily dropped. Mr Machell said that he had learned that Britain and France were employing prisoners on the western front, He mentioned the bad state of the roads in the district and thought that interned Germans should be used for repairing the main roads of the North Island. He thought that the difficulty of guarding the prisoners could be carried out by returned soldiers and home service men. Mr Corson: What about getting them to work on the railways?

Mr Kells: You might get the same reply as received from the Government for the use of prison labor. The Chairman pointed ont that there was a distinction between interned prisoners and prisoners of war. The Allies were employing prisoners of war, not interned prisoners. The suggestion was dropped.