CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 November 1924, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

ANNUAL MEETING. NEW OFFICERS ELECTED. The annual meeting of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce was held last night, n hen Mr E. C. Fletcher presided over an attendance of close on 20 members. Air E. Dixon took the chair during the meeting when he was elected as president. • Apologies for absence were received fi-om Messrs T. Taylor, . E. H. Harrop \ n( J S u U OI b and the chairman stated that Le regretted that the president (Mr J. B; Murdoch) was absent m Australia. The annual report stated: —During the year twelve monthly and one sue” cial meetings have been held. The main part of the business has been of a routine nature, but at every meetin" matters of considerable interest to the community have been discussed. A question which gave rise to much concern in Hawera related ai rm 1 way matters, and the Chamber has been in correspondence with the Railway Departme lit on many occasions during ihe year, urging the requirements of this sei vice, and improvements, long promised but never carried out, at the Hawera station. The special meeting of the Chamber, recently, held to' consider the report of the Alinister for Railways, sent forward certain questions to the member of the district to be submitted to' the department. No answers are yet available. The Chamber in this connection has. heartily supported the action of the other Chambers of the province in urging upon Cabinet the necessity of the early completion of the TaranakiAucklnnd trunk railway. It is regrettable, however, to find that the Public Works Statement has made very small provision for advancement' in this direction.

Ppstal matters, ; continued the report, have also received considerable attention, and certain suggestions which .have been submitted to the department have been carried out, to the advantage of the business people. Representations as to the telephone service have also been made, and the Chamber has been assured that the provision of an automatic exchange for the town- is a matter of a short time, and the supply of the material. The condition of business generally, the report concluded, has been the cause for very careful consideration during the past twelve months, awl while Hawera has been feeling the pinch of . the reduced volume of business, the town is to be congratulated on the stability and success of the business community. The report was adopted. The chairman intimated that Mr J. B. Murdoch was not seeking re-elec-tion to the presidential chair, but Mr E. Dixon had consented to nomination. The election of officers for the ensuing year was then proceeded with. Mr E. Dixon was elected president, and Messrs E. C. Fletcher and J. B. Murdoch vice-presidents. Vacancies on the council were filled by the election of Messrs R.’ A. Douglas, A. Sellar, BMcCarthy. F. W. Horner, H.. B. Burdekin and L. A. Bone. Mr H. B. Burdekiu was elected auditor.

Messrs E. Evans and W. G. Walkley were elected members. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the retiring president (Mr Murdoch) and other retiring officers.-