OAMARU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13663, 4 September 1916, Page 1

OAMARU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

1 MEETING OF COMMITTEE. A meeting of the General committee of the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce was held on Friday evening. The president (Mr W. Jl." Rose) presided and there were present: Messrs L. E. Haines, A, Hamilton, \V. Sumpter, and A, Eraser. The committee dealt, with several communications from the Department of Agriculture, Industries and Coin-, merce, seeking for information regarding industries capable of development in directions indicated by his Majesty's Trade Commission, Experimental Farms.—The report by the Board of Agriculture to the Minister of Agriculture on Government experimental Farms which was presented to Parliament last session and ordered' to be printed and copy of the name which was promised to the Chamber not yet being available, in response to further inquiry, the secretary of the Department wired to the chairman as follows; "In reply to your letter of 23rd 1 am directed by Hon. Mr MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture; to inform you that the location of agricultural stations in the South Island has not yet beun definitely decided, it must however be borne in mind that the total number of such stations for the South Island will necessarily be but few and the possibility of conducting experimental agriculture at Olekaike School in the Oamaru district must receive serious consideration, •'

The president of the Board of Agriculture, in reply to the representations of the Chamber through the president (Mr Rose), wrote as follows;.— "In connection with the, question of the establishment of an experimental farm in the North Otago district, as promised .... this matter was brought before the Board of Agriculture at a recent meeting. After the matter had been discussed by the Board, it was decided to inform you that the Board had recommended the Hon. Minister of Agriculture to dispose of some portions of the North Island experimental farms there, but until further information is available the Board could not recommend'any one particular district as the site for the new farm.'.'

The president reviewed; the whole position relating to the efforts which had been made to obtain recognition of North Otago as a desirable location for 'an experimental farm, and after full consideration it was resolved, on the motion of Mr A. Fracer, seconded by Mr A. Hamilton, that Messrs Hose, Haines and Walton 'wait upon the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association regarding the matter. Auctioneers' ami Valuers' fcesirthe return asked for by Mir Walter' Sumptcr at the previous inee|ing was submitted showing in tabulated form the fees recognised by the Uunediii and South Canterbury Chambers of Commerce alongside of the Oamaru Chamber's, Messrs .1. I). Familton and Co. wrote pointing out a disparity in charges relating to .freehold property. After consideration it was resolved to leave the matter in Mr Sumptor's hands to convene a meeting of all interested and to report results. Oamaru Produce Exports.—The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company and Messrs Dalgety aiut Com-? pany, as representatives ni: the ship-' ping companies, wrote agreeing to ask their shippers to make all export en-', trios "Oamaru Produce.'' This was conceded in response to Iho Chamber's efforts to insure that the district would receive full credit for all its exports in the Dominion statistics. Conference of Association of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce,—The Association's letter intimating that Ihe next conference would be held in No-' voinber and inviting particulars of subjects for discussion was held over till next committee meeting. Telephone Kxehangt; 1/ist.--II was agreed to'iippm! vi/priM-iiliilions to tlioPostal aHlii'wiliiv, I'm- I Ik: re-establish-incut of the old ;,;,':,! cm of publishing, monthly cards, giving addi lions to and delclioiu from the existing telephone exchange list, Mr C. E. Tiiivey, owing lo his-leaving the district, wrote resigning membership of the Chamber and his position as a member of commit tee, The resignation was accepted with extreme regret, members present voicing Iheir appreciation of Mr Davey's keen inteie r ;t in the work of the committee and his usefulness as a real live member'. •

Mr Snmptcr introduced the matter of the proposed investigation by si-ionlisls for the development of the mineml resources of the Dominion and sii|;»er.t(!(l that the North (Dingo dial lift would be found to he a fruitful' source for research, An interesting inlerohniijje 0/ 'opinion and reminiscence followed; and it was resolved to get in touch with the movement in the interests of the district. For the convenience of members of the Chamber it was decided to obtain the Mercantile Gazette of New Zealand and the New Zealand Trade Eeview.