LEVIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 May 1931, Page 5

LEVIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Levin Chamber of Commerce was held in the Whakatane Club on Monday evening. The President, Mr E. S. Crisp, occupied the chair and there was a fair attendance of members. PARTY FUSION. The President said a telegram had been received from the Palmerston Chamber of Commerce on April 30th, stating that it was holding a public meeting approving the proposals of the Prime Minister regarding a National Government and hoping the Levin Chamber would do the same. —No acttion was taken. REDUCTION OF MEMBERS. The Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand submitted the following proposal for an expression of opinion: ‘‘General reduction of memoers of Legislative Council to twenty members by an enactment that no new appointment be made so long as the membership of that body is not less than twenty. The present strength of the House of Representatives is 7(3 European and four Maori members. Reduction to European members to take place at the next General Election by electing each member to represent two of the present electorates, so to remain until the next census, after which necessary adjustments oi boundaries could be made.” The President said a great many people supported this proposal and he favoured it, believing that Parliament was absolutely overloaded and that economies could be effected by a reduction. It was a step in the right direction. Mr H. G. Kerslake said he doubted whether one member could attend to the needs of two electorates. Many calls were made on M.P.’s and there was another difficulty in that large electorates would have no community of interest. There were times when the interests of the Manawatu and Otaki electorates, for instance, lay in totally different directions, and if such areas were combined, the member would find it very difficult to do justice to his constituents. Mr S. R. Stedman referred to the recent W.E.A. lecture in Levin by Mr D. O. Williams, economist at Massey College, in which he had suggested an advisory council of experts to deal with the country’s problems. The President: Men of proved ityMembers who had not attended the lecture said they had read the report in the Chronicle and found it of great interest. It was decided to support the proposal for a reduction of the numbers of both Housej of Parliament.