THE POST OFFICE POLL AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue XXXVI, 13 December 1902, Page 2

THE POST OFFICE POLL AND THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

CUI'NTEP-REI'RKSENTATIONS TO '- TUL CGVKiwNMiiN I'. I At the meeting of the Neloon Chamber Ot Coiuiuarce last eveniug tlie chairman, ' Mr S. Kirkpatrick, dealing with the re- j cent poet office -ite p dl, f a i d that the bu-. ine-r, of this institution wa- carried j 0,1 by the Government for the benefit ot i 1 1 ; ( • whole community, e.-ppcially for ) thco who contributed towards it- sir,- ; port. The post ntlice should bo p'aced ■ where it would be convenient for the > people who n-ed it most, and the poll did not decide where it would be placid in future. I'e said it did not mailer how much was -pent if tbe p i-t oflice wa- on the northern i to, ns buiness could not increase in that direction. Whatever bn-ine-3 went there would come from the southern end. The speaker alto contended th»b the p">st oltice should pla'-ed on a mudtiat for the benefited a tew who wished to cut up to Dons. He regretted that tho battle of sites had occurred. It only gave the Government an opp rtu ity to delay the eroctionof a neiv building, especially as the Government «as short of money. The Pre i ''.'.er hid said he did not try to raise a loin in L'andou. Possibly he did not, because he va- advised he could not. bat the G - 'eminent was now selling debentures iver the counter like bat's of soap, and in-ei'.-st at 1 per cent uas payable in Ansra'.ia or London I!y crecUns; a pist oflice n the middlo of the street as sug^o-tod ■ t v.onlri spoil Ibe look . d the tdro?T. Mr Roberts, C.F.. said that a r< solution bad been piepan-d, and it had fallen t'l his unhappy h>t to move it, as it should be in ablet hands. He thought it would have been wiser if some one nun- interns! ed in commercj had been entrusted with the [moving of the resolution, Mr Rjberts Ihun moved ;-" That the Chamber consider- it to be it- duty a- repn M'utatire ( ,f (he cominerci-d inlerc-t iMho city to re-pectfully a--ure the Po.-tinaator-General that tho re-ult of tin; poll recently taken on the que-tion of offeriiior the Government a certain part of Trafalgar-street North for rhe purpose of haiing the proposed new post om.ee building, erected thereon -hould certainly not be taken as an expre ion of the opinion on the matter held by the majority ot the business people of the oity, who greatly prefers that tho Po-tnia-ter-Genertd will Mtber per-i-t in hi- cxpre--ed intention of having new buildingerected on the present site or otherwise on sDiio more suitable -ite that may b; found to be available; provided it bs mar the pre-ent sit 1 , [a either ca-- tbo Chamber respectfully urge- on the Post ma-ler-General'- consideration the nece--iH iihieh exists in the p.iblic interest fur the erecliou of the new building being proceeded with without further delav, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded immediately to tho Post mas ter General. " Mr VV. Po-t ia -ec nJing tbe motion agreed with tlie remuik- of tbo Chair man. Un considered it would bo \>i calamity to have the po-t o flic a remover, from tbe business centre, and detrimen tal to the be-t intere ■ t- of Iho city L havo it situated at the northern end ei Liafalga.'-sire<-t. Mr J. P. Hani- rogre ted that lefer e':ces shouli be made to mudflats in Tra-falgar-treet, aud thai c dl wal-.-r .should bo thrown m: nnv eiti/eas who were tr\ ing lo iiiipiovi-. and expand tho city. .'I wa- unfair to ele-eribe them as " lavu grabbers," vhuther the p st ollice was erected on the northern site or not, tin town mud e.Ntead in il.at din-e'en. II: ecn-idered t h?-*. a m -i - h had If a ~0.1"ii on the e 'tianiber iu Gin re "iutioa bcie>j brought forward. He was [de-nsed te -eo new menibc -. (beted that evi nine but the object of tie ir i r. t r 'duct ion inappan nt. Mr l'att"ii remarked tha! they wire lottheie for the pei p '-e rf roiitig on this mo! ion. auu ho would a -k 1 1 om not t ■ vote. Several in th" mom io fo voir o! the mol ion, c ai.- idered they had a rigl 1 tc vde. Mr liaoi- con I inning, vitliore.v hilni ter ri-niarli . bill be con iuererl il a • l - lmrkable coincidence that I litre w:it • nly one Pridge-sl reel man pr. -on!, ami ..11 thore-l, were Hardy-street ropre-eij-tali' o-. Mr Fell considered I hat if every member of tho Cham bin- wa- piH-eut. there would bo a majority in favour of the present site or in its neighbourhood. Uesa'd it would bo a mistake from a bu-ine s point of view ti erect a po-t oflice at tbe noithern end. It would be mo-t iiuxpsdient to -poil tho per -paction el the Htreet. Mr Robert- ; Hear hear. M r Pell c -n -idevetl that if the Imvn areiv to auy f-i/.e il would be a -eri'.tis block to ILdifax-sti'o.i. |o bave the post office at the Trafalgar --tn-ei N'.oth -ite. Mr Ilanuehr -trongly oppo-ed tin molion, and considered it would make the C' amber look ridiculous if it were passed ;in fact wonl Ido an incalculable degree of ha-m. If there was a po-t office at the Trafalgar-stieet North, there would be just tbo dame amount of business done. Mr Fell was ot opinion that, a popuLr vote was not a veto tbat should govern tho cuestion. It should bo decided by the people who seal letters and telograms. j If the Chamber as a body failed to let this pass, they would bo neglecting their duty. Mr Harris iSecrefary V in rejdytiMi l'-tlon, stated that tho attendance was about, thos une as u-ual. Mr Fell c intended that if a special meeting was called there would be a considerable inllu.x of ncv members from Bridge-street and all parts of the city. Mr A. A. Lucas considered it would be wise to withdraw tho motion. If would be iidiculou- to pass the motion unless there was a full meeting. Chid parti- ular business had not been placed on the order paper, and it would be more effective and better for (Ik- Chairman to have a full meet iug. After further di-cus-ion the motion wa- put to the meeting and carried. The voting wa.- as follow- .—Ayes : (II) Messrs Kirkpatrick, Robert-, Edwards, I atton, Neale, Jack-on, Houlker, Short, Rout, Fell, Lovien. Noe-- (I) Mo-sr- Baunehr, Lucas Hamilton, and Hani-.