CURRENT TOPICS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 120, 19 May 1909, Page 7

CURRENT TOPICS.

(By "Observer.")

THE CHAMBER OF CpMMERCE

There does not appear to be an over amount of enthusiasm displayed by the members of the. Blenheim Chamber of Commerce. For some months past the meetings held have only been attended by a bare majority of the council. Those members who invariably attend the meetings .n-e deserving of great commendation lot the interest they take in the only body in the town that endeavours to influence the commercial aftairs or Maryborough. Notwithstanding the small attendance from time to time, questions of great magnitude and importance to the town and district are Brought up and discussed, and it is not infrequently that' the discussion bears fruifc in a wider sense. As showing the level-headed business ability of the enthusiastic members of the council, we may mention a . recommendation from the president, Mr Reid, who represented the Chamber at /the:! recent conference of Chambers of Commerce in Wellington, that the 'present Bankruptcy Act be amended so as to abolish any attempts, at fraudulent practices in connection with bankruptcies. It was readily recognised, not only by the conference,: but also by Mr Myers, CroWri Prosecutor in Welling- • ton, that the amendment would be a step inj the right direction in the mat- ■ ter 0/ protecting commerce. The Prime Minister, who was waited upon by a deputation from the conference, also admitted the advisableness of such an amendment, and judging from the tenor of his reply to the deputation steps will be taken during the coming session of Parliament to have the present Bankruptcy Act amended on the lines suggested ,by the conferr ence. It will be conceded, therefore, s that if a minority of the members of the local Chamber could frame a resolution that proved acceptable to a conference composed of gentlemen possessing broad and intelligent views on all matters affecting the commercial;interests /of the-' Dominion, more.could be.done if the members as .' a whole were to take a keener interest in the management of the affairs of ■the Chamber. ■,'*. It is unquestionably to be regretted that greater energy arid enthusiasm'does not prevbily and it is to be sincerely hoped trat the; apaA.thetic members will be roused from ■•their; lethargy'and'that" they w,ill rally round their less, weary comrades in a 'good and common cause, rind do their utmost "to infuse more life into the Chamber. . There are many questions that need the attention of the council, and if they are, all attended to' there will be little time for the memr bers to, waste. The view that should (be taken of the matter is whether it profits, the members to lie dormant when there is so much to do. All personal feeling should, be placed on one side, and they should'endeavour to work; v unanimously, ■ as. Tennyson . wrote: •■ •■ \. . ■ <.. '■-.' :: .■ • "For the1 cause that needs assistance, For the'wrong that lacks resistance, ,2Tor the future in the distance, ' And the good" that they can do."

THE WAIE^lf B,AR X Owing to "the. Wairau Bar haying become, silted up during the recent heavy rains, all the river boats have been Enable to,get in or ojit, and*consequently that medium of ' direct transit between Wellington and Blenneim has for the time being' ceased, arid the; business* people of this town are in the unenviable position of not Itavirig a direct commercial communication with;^ Empire City. ' Many condemnatory statements have' been made in- reference .to the apathetic '■^dißpositioh-'~of;'■'^the:•■:!fVVai^■au'■■■'.Harb6r Board, and probably not without some justification,! but the main cause^ of Blenheim's inglorious, situation jjust 1 now is certainly due; to the indifferent dispositions; of the tradespeople, who unquestionably: f eel the position more keenly than ' anyone else v in the province v It is almost inconceivable that those who are a great factory in the commercial world of. Marlborough should bd so careless and uninterested in the business which they. affect to have much jat heart. Instead of making a united effort to improve f hepresent state of affairs, they are content to sit down and condemn the body that was1 elected to qontrol all matters in connection with*the harbor. There is too much personal feeling prevalent in Blenheim, and the-sooner that is relegated to oblivion the better it will be for the town.; It is. t}uite obvious that the Wairau Bar will ■ never T>e any, better than it is unless the people do something to relieve the present tensibn. It is all very well to petition the Government to .m----prove the position, but it is hardly reasonable to suppose that the Government is, going to find the money tor a work which, when completed, would detrimentally affect the Blenheim-Pic-ton-railway, which is one of the bestpaying branches in the Dominion. The people must learn to help themselves before they can ever hope to receive any material assistance from the Government. Hitherto the ratepayers have opposed almost tooth and nail . every proposal to borrow a reasonable sum of money with which to improve the, harbor facilities, and have cried anathema against the authors of such a proposal: Yet oh the other hand they are invariably to be heard bewailing ' their unfortunate position, and crying out, "What is the Harbor Board doing?" Let those who denounce the Harbor Board make a move in the direction of assisting the Board to obtain money and have it judiciously expended on the bar. In and around the district are evident signs of a reform from the ancient party spirit and personal prejudices, and those who are surely primarily interested will not attempt'to hinder the wave of progress that is slowly But surely coming over the province. The time is at hand when the people of Blenheim will have to decide to relegate to the* limbo of'the past their procastinating propensities, and each and all work unanimously for fche commonweal of the province, or else ' they will live to remember with bitter feelings of remorse that they refused to associate themselves with a work that would have made for the betterment of the commercial'standing of Marlborough.