CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 590, 15 December 1908, Page 6

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

SPECIAL MEETING. THOSE MANAWATU FREIGHTS. ■ in I !■ ■ 0 A special meeting of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce ■was held yesterday. Present: Messrs j. M. Johnston (President), H. Haydon, Harden, Goldingham, Gibbons, Eliott, Hodder, E. D. Hoben, A. Seifert, Oapt. Preece, and the Secretary (Mr Hirsoh). The President (Mr Johnston) said that a special meeting had been called to go into the matter of the rise of freight which had been brought about by the Government taking over the Manawatu line. Mr Goldingham had brought the matter nnder the notice of the Chamber, showing that rises had been made of from 60 to 110 per ceut. Messrs Goldingham and Eliott had been appointed a sub-committee to enquire into the matter and report. SUB-OOMMITTEE'S REPORT. Mr Goldingham then read the report of the sub-couiniittee, as follows: —"The time given to make this report has been too short to give full details, but enough data has been obtained to show the Chamber of Oommeroe that the railage freights have actually been raiser!, in some oases, as much as 00 per cent., as on kerosene, and 60 per cent, as on sugar. Following lines of goods are effected by the Government taking over the line, that is to say, the freights ara largely inoreased Nails, rice, barbed wire, kerosene, sugar, shoep dip, sash weights, treacle in bulk, vinegar, beer, wiufs and spirits in bulk, woolpacks, currants, candles, bridge ironwork, soap, soda, staples, whiting, galvanized iron, gas and water pipes, etc.

"RE FOXTON ROUTE. "The shipping company have givou a special rate for Palmerston North, Feilding aud surrounding districts, of 7s 6d per ton. "RE DELAY IN FOXTON. "On enquiry, we find the chief causo of delay is in the railway service, and recommend the Chamber to press for a train ou Wednesday aud Fridav afternoon, as on other days of the week. At pro.sent goods ariiving in Foxton on Thursday afternoons. and Friday mornings, cat:not lfuve Foxton until Saturday morning, and in consequence of the poor's k ! ■ he in? closed at 2 p.m. on Saturday, the goods aro uot delivered until Monday. The same thing applies to goods arriving on Tuesday afternoons, and Wednesday mornings, which are not delivered until Friday. "The onlj day on which there would be no delay, would be goods a r riviug on Thursday morning, which would reach Palmerston North ou the evening of the same day, aud would he delivered next mor/iin?? "On Monday no steamers arrive "No dulay is caused by the want of facilities for unloading, lack nt wharfage accommodation, or want of labour, but there is very often a lack of trucks, which with the bad and insufficient train service, are the chief caoses of delay "I have had," added Mr Goldingham, '' great, difficulty to give a disinterested report. For instance, W ool timber, live stock, are all probably affected, though I have no I knowledge of it." He thought the j Government vrould have to come

down, if it was only as business men.

Mr Eliott reported that the rate for wool under the Manawatu Company between Palmerston and Wellington waa 4s 5(1, and the new rate was 5s 3d—a difference of lOrt. The present rate via Foxton was 4s 4d. Mr Hodder doubted whether the Chamber understood what they were doing. The Government was simply introducing the tariff which exists over the whole of the Dominion. It was absolutely childish to expect that the Government would alter the tariff to please Palmerston. What was wanted was better communication with Foxton and the harbour, and when they got that the Government might consider the advisability of reducing the tariff.

It was pointed ont that there was no suggestion of altering the tariff as a whole, but they wanted the Government to regard the Foxton seaboard route as a competing route in the same way as they did the Timarn and Oamaru harbour traffic. A special concession was made wherever there was sea competition, and thov simply wanted a similar concession here.

Messrs Gibbons and Harden emphasised the necessity of getting a better train service to Foxton.

It was resolved, 011 the motion of Mr Goldingham, seconded by Capfc. Preecu, that the attention of the Premier be drawn to the request of the deputation from the Chamber, and ask for an answer, since the seaborne freights via Foxton are competing to a great degree as against the new railway freights via Manawatu.

It was also resolved on the motion of Mr Eliott, that the Chamber urge the Railway Department to improve the railway service from Foxton by running r.n afternoon train 011 Wednesday and Saturday, and also by having a sufficient supply of railway trucks always at Foxton. Messrs Goldingham aud Eliott were thanked for their tiouble in making the report, and were appointed a permanent committee to go into the matter of freights.