CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4632, 6 December 1934, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce was held in the Borough Council Chambers on Tuesday evening, the president, Mr. W. S. Cato, being in the chair. Correspondence. The Town Clerk wrote stating that the Borough Council proposed to take action against any person hawking goods in the Borough without a license. It was decided to write ti the Council thanking same for looking after the interests of the busines people of the town. The Railway Department replied in regard to the Chamber's request for a revision of the parcel rates, stating that this matter was now being considered, and thanked the Chamber for its interest in the matter.

The Waitomo Power Board wrote stating that it had been decided to make a concession of Id a unit for shop lighting during the Christmas and New Year holidays as an inducement to make the town brighter during this peiiod. The chairman expressed the hope that business men would take advantage of the concession, as the Board's future policy in this way would be guided by the measure of support accorded.

New Year Carnival

The chairman stated that the New Year Carnival was being well supported by business men, and arrangements were well in hand. Provided weather conditions were favourable the function should prove a great attraction for the town.

The Dairy Factory.

Mr. Craig brought up the matter of a dairy factory for Te Kuiti. He said that the suppliers in this district were not satisfied with their grading, but the, Chamber could do little unless the suppliers took the initiative.

Mr. Jones (Tangitu) said that while the suppliers in his district would prefer to have a dump, it was impossible to guarantee 500 tons a year, so they were strongly in favour of a factory at Te Kuiti as the next best thing. The Waimiha suppliers were not at all satisfied with the grading they received at Otorohanga. It was suggested by the chairman that the local suppliers should get in touch with the Tangitu Settlers' Association with a view of taking joint action for a factory in Te Kuiti. Valueless Cheques.

Mr. Holah brought up the matter of the issuing of valueless cheques. He said that -there people who wrote out cheques with no money in the bank and this put business r>eople to a lot of trouble. It was a dishonest practice and should be made an indictable offence.

Most members agreed with this point of view, and it was decided to make further enquiries as to the legal position. Mr. Jones drew attention to the fact that exchange on cheques was charged on all cheques issued in the Tangitu district, whether issued on banks at Te Kuiti or Taumarunui. In some cases the recipient of the cheque charged exchange on'cheques even though drawn on a bank in the same town in which the recipient banked.

It was pointed out that the person who cashed these cheques had no right to charge exchange if he banked in the same town as where the cheque was issued on. Mr. Jones also brought up the question of the bank charge for keeping accounts. This had been raised from 10s to 20s a yeai% the reasons being that the Government had raised the tax on the note issue. The speaker said that he understood that when the notes of the trading banks were taken out of circulation the tax would be reduced and it was only right that the charge for keeping accounts should also be reduced. It was pointed out that there was a considerable number of notes ofi the trading banks in circulation, and until these had been withdrawn the position was obscure as to the tax on the note issue.

It was decided to take no action in the matter in the meantime.

ASSOCIATED MEETING. HELD AT TAUMARUNUI. An important meeting, convened by the Ohakune Chamber of Commerce, was held yesterday afternoon in the Taumarunui Borough Council Chambers when local bodies were represented as under: Ohakune Chamber of Commerce, Mr. W. H. Boswell (President); Raetihi Chamber of Commerce, Mr. W. Jack; Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce, Mr. W. S. Cato (President) and Mr. S. Craig; Taumarunui defunct Chamber of Commerce, Messrs. A. J. Gordon and T. Peters; Taumarunui Borough Council, Crs. E. Managh (Deputy-Mayor), Cr. H. G. Morgan, and Cr. S. Bishara; Mr. Ivan Webb (Town Clerk); Taumarunui County Council, Mr. S. H. Andrew (County Clerk)- Mr. W. J. Logan was also present and was appointed secretary of the meeting. Mr. Managh apologised for the absence of the Mayor, who was called away on important business. Mr. Managh proposed that Mr. Jack preside at the meeting and this was agreed to. Mr. Jack said that when Raetihi Chamber received the invitation they turned it clown but, after an interview with Dr. Jordan, they changed their minds, and agreed to be represented. He regretted that Dr. Jordan, the prime mover in the matter, was prevented from attending at the last moment.

The chairman then read Dr. Jordan's statement as follows: "The motive in calling this meeting is to discuss questions—and their solutions —of common interest and concern to King Country towns and districts. Few people in the country generally seem to realise that in the King Country, New Zealand still possesses an area, that, developed to the same degree, might rival any of the established districts such as Taranakl,

Manawatu, Wairarapa, etc. The questions which the Ohakune Chamber of Commerce would bring forward for discussion are as follows: 1. Licensing of hotels.

2. State aid to develop our district, owing to its unique condition of undevelopment. 3. Railway concessions to aid this development. 4. Adequate protection to Native bush reserves. 5. Up-to-date district and community planning. Dealing with these questions in turn, the writer continued: I.—Licensing of King Country Hotels: No-licensing has failed dismally in its object of excluding liquor from Natives; it has had no good moral influence in the community, and on the other hand proves an unfair handicap to commerce and tourist traffic. Both north and south the towns in juxtaposition to the nolicense area show a definite trade advantage. The idea behind the agreement with the Maoris was good, and the sanctity of any contract with the Natives should be observed. If liquor really is doing the Maoris harm, it is our duty to them to enforce such regulatio'ns as will prevent it reaching them. However, it is not liquor but T.B. that is really the European born evil of the Maoris. It is our duty to them and their chiefs' duty also, to save them from this devastating menace, which a generation ago nearly exterminated them. To deal with this menace we require an adequate centre to deal with the afflicted, and to train the fit and well to protect themselves with hygienic knowledge. The requirements to my mind would be an institution such as the Otaki Health Camp, where threatened cases could be built up in health, and where Maori girls could get a grounding in hygiene to carry back to their people. (Advanced or even definite cases of T.B. should never be nursed by Natives). By a revision of the no-license agreement with the Maoris, and allowing licenses in our district, provided all profits went to Maori hygiene, we could retain the motive of the agreement, namely to protect the welfare of the race, and at the same time give fair business opportunity to our districts. 2.—The Question of Land Development: There are two questions how to find new avenues of work for our unemployed; (2) the encouragement of immigration of the right kind. With regard to the first we know that in an organised land development scheme in the King Country, particularly stumping, all the unemployed suitable for that work could be employed for- some years. If stumping were accelerated to such a degree, subdivision of holdings would follow naturally, and the result would be a rapid increase in the requirements of urban population. This condition o± rapid increase in population would, I believe, be the only condition under which immigration should be considered. |

3.—Question of Railway Freights: It has been in the past the policy of the Railway Department to stifle the King Country by giving concessions to districts where there has been an opposition means of transport, thus making the cost of living in the King Country artificially dear, and that of coastal places artificially cheap. It is our contention that by lowering their freights to us they will assist development, and actually feed the goose that lays the golden eggs. Firewood is a case where it is more profitable to burn an asset than sendMt away. 4—The Question of Preservation of Native Bush: When one travels over any" of the older districts, Taranaki, North Auckland, Manawatu, Wairarapa, it is difficult to imagine they were once forest covered, for not o'nly are their good pasture lands free from trees, but steep hillsides, river banks and other waste lands or reserves are also bare. In our own district we find already large areas bare, and the reserves are thinning, and we know that as the farmers burn off, the remaining clumps must suffer. What escape the fire gradually thin and die where the trees are exposed to wind and sun. If one district in the whole of New Zealand is to retain some semblance of the glories of the forest in harmony with pastoral development, .Jhat district must be the King Country.

s.—Community Planning: It was not until recently .that one really learned what was meant by town planning or perhaps better named— community planning. Just as a farmer before he builds a haystack must know the size of his field and estimate the yield of his crop, and plan the stack accordingly, so, the first question that a town planner asks are the size of the district and its yield before he plans a town. Much could be learned by the survey required by such a planning. It would determine what lands were fit for farming, and what for tree planting. By the whole district being done as one, the costs would be less, and as most of our buildings are still wooden, little cost would be involved in alterations required, for most wooden buildings of to-day will be rebuilt in twenty years —a small space of time in a growing town. While speaking of towns, no borough in the King Country has a qualified engineer—nor could they individually afford one —but if a consultant engineer were employed to make a yearly survey and frame the estimates it would greatly minimise expenses if he were able to do all the towns of the King Country as one undertaking. Discussion. Mr. Boswell thought that a lot could be done by co-operation of the Chambers of Commerce in the King Country. Mr. Craig said at the present time there were difficulties in the way of inducing Parliament to alter the licensing law to grant a referendum in the proclaimed area. While personally in favour of a referendum for the King Country, he did not think it a matter for Chambers of Commerce to deal with. Mr. Cato said it was not a matter for the Chambers of Commerce, as there was a divided opinion among members and this might lead to disruption. The chairman asked what the meeting proposed to do with the several questions. It might be best to refer them to the various Chambers of

Commerce for their opinions and hold a further meeting of associated Chambers of Commerce later. Mr. Cato said Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce belonged to the South Auckland Association, and this body met periodically in several districts and discussed remits from the Chambers of Commerce, Associated. They held their conference when required and their efforts had been very successful. ';,

Mr. Jack: I think Taumarunui is considered to be the geographical centre.

Mr. Cato: Has Taumarunui a Chamber of Commerce?

Mr. Managh: Not at present. Mr. Logan: The matter is in hand for a revival of the Chamber here. Mr. Gordon said there were two questions that required early attention. They were the land question and the Native land question. He would like to see a conference on these questions with Mr. Brqadfoot and Mr. Langstone, M.P.'s, present. They achieve some result. Mr. Craig said the rating of Native lands was a very vital question. They had a conference some years ago which achieved results and concessions were made, but some of the promises were not fulfilled. If they worked together they would get results. At present they were working from all angles. The Waitomo County Council in the 22 years of its existence had lost £60,000 to £BO,OOO in unpaid rates on Native lands. The Te Kuiti Borough lost annually £SOO in Native land rates that they could not collect and another £6OO on Crown lands on which the Government would recognise no liability. Mr. Craig suggested that each Chamber of Commerce be asked to discuss the questions raised by Dr. Jordan and that another conference be held and a deputation sent to Wellington representative of the whole of the King Country.

Mr. Jack said in regard to the land development proposal they could find work for a lifetime if they had the finance.

Mr. Craig said while they had the shadow of the quota hanging over their head land development offered many problems. Mr. Cato said that immigration and land development went hand in hand. We wanted more population" of the right kind. Mr. Craig said that Mr. Ramsay MacDonalds' son arrived in Auckland that day enquiring about immigration. The Imperial Government had £25,000,000 in reserve for the purpose. If the idle lands of the King Country were developed and settled .there would be less burden on ratepayers . and rabbits and ragwort" would disappear. There was a - shortage- of farm labour because unemployed single. men preferred the camp life at 15s a week and keep, to farm Work at £1 a week and keep, with its longer hoursof labour. New Zealand could now support four times the population and, in time, ten times the populatidn it had to-day. It would pay the Imperial Government to carry out a sound emigration scheme. In regard to railway freights to * the King Country Mr. Jack said if they asked the Railway Department to lower freights they would say the railways were not paying. Mr. Boswell: They are paying. . Mr. Logan: We want community action in this matter. The rates here are scandalous compared with other places I know of. The King Country is penalised to enable the Department to compete with road traffic elsewhere. • It made the cost of goods artificially high and increased the cost of living. Mr. Boswell said the freight from Wellington to Ohakune was £3 2s 6d a ton compared with Auckland to' Ohakune £9 10s 6 per ton. Mr. Bishara said the freights were cheaper from Auckland to Wanganui than from Auckland to Taumarunui.

Mr. Managh: The Class A freight Auckland to Taumarunui was £4 18a 6d per ton. Mr. Craig said hundreds of trucks of coal went to the King Country and returned empty, yet the Railway Department would not reduce freights on firewood from the King Country. There was a tremendous business to be done in Auckland in firewood. Mr. Bishara said that he knew of firewood loaded in the King Country at 12s 6d a cord and cost 22s 6d a cord in freight to Wellington and the Department had no handling to do. Mr. Jack said that most Chambers of Commerce in the King Country would be in favour of lowering freights. Mr. Cato said the matter of rates on Crown lands was an urgent one. Crown sections and the Crown as mortgagees caused a lot of trouble to local bodies. The borough of Te Kuiti was greatly hampered through this. Mr. Craig: I have been informed that the rates uncollected by the Waitomo County Council last year amounted to £4,400, and 75 per cent, of this amount was rates on Crown lands. i

On the motion of Mr. Craig, seconded by Mr. Boswell, it was decided to hold the next conference in the third week of April. Mr. Craig asked that the conference should not lose sight of the question of redress in regard to the freeholds of the boroughs of Te Kuiti and Taumarunui.

At the close of the conference the Town Clerk and his staff provided afternoon tea for the delegates and, on the motion of Mr. Cato a vote of thanks was passed to them for this and to the Borough Council for the use of the room.