CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 27 October 1917, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce was lield in the Borough Chambers last evening. Mr ; M.J. Lynskey, the retiring president, ! occupied the chair. There was only a small attendance of members. I The president, in the course of his ! address, regretted that the great ■ European struggle was still in progress, | and expressed the wish that with the ' entry of America on the side of the j Allies there would soon be victory, bringing with it an everlasting peace. A number of matters had been dealt with by the council of the Chamber I during the year; the council had been able to induce the potsal authorities to open the Telephone Exchange at seven | o'clock in the morning instead of at I eight o'clock, and the extra hour was proving of considerable benefit to many, particularly to farmers and stock people. He hoped this would lead ultimately to the institution of a continuous service, which the council had been pressing for, but up to the present without much success. The council had received considerable support from the country subscribers; unfortunately, however, the majority of business men were not in favor of an all-night service. He had made enquiries concerning towns which had a continual service, and he found that Waipawa, with only a quarter of the population of Hawera, was supplied with an all-night telephone service. The council had also approached the Railway Department with reference to various improvements needed locally, including the removal of the cattle yards, and it seemed that owing to the abnormal conditions it was not possible for anything to be done in the direction referred to. However, it was hoped that after the war the railway matters which had been receiving the attention of the Chamber would be carried out. The past few weeks had been a trying time for business people, who had been unable to secure a supply of merchandise because of the shipping difficulties. It was deplorable that their coastal shipping should have been held up. He was pleased to say that from information he had received that the service would shortly be resumed. The secretary presented a statement which showed that financially the Chamber was not very healthy. Mr Osborne considered that an effort should be made to secure new members. The Chamber was a body which should not be allowed to die. Mr Hayton said the Chamber had rendered good service to the town in the past, and it deserved the support of the community. Mr E. Dixon 'agreed that it would be a good thing if a canvass were made for new members. The Chamber bad rendered excellent service for some years, and he hoped that interest in it would not fall away. There was much good work ahead of the Chamber yet.

Mr L. O. Hooker said it was the j duty of every business man to associate j himself with the Chamber. | A discussion ensued as to the best | means of increasing interest in the Chamber, and the suggestion was thrown out that it would bo a good thing if the Hawera Tradesmen's Association and the Chamber were to amalgamate as the interests of both bodf.es were, almost identical. Eventually a motion was proposed by Mr Osborne that a general meeting of members of the Chamber and the Tradesmen's Association be convened for the purpose of discussing the advisable'r ness of amalgamation. This was seconded by Mr A. Blair and i carried. The secretary was authorised to write ! to the. chairman of the Tradesmen's Association in regard to the matter, j It was agreed to defer the election of officers until after the meeting of the two institutions.

The Chamber then proceeded to discuss matters of general interest, reported elsewhere.