ONEHUNGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6915, 16 January 1884, Page 6

ONEHUNGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The fortnightly meeting of the above Chamber was held in the Borough Council office on Friday evening last. Present: Mr. Wm. Stevenson, Vice-President (in the chair), and a fair attendance of members. Tne chief item of correspondence was the following letter from the managing director of the Union Steamship Company : —

To P. Cues, Es.;., Secretin- Oueiur.ji Chamber of Commerce. Sir.—l have the honour 10 acicoirledge lhe receipt of your favour uJ :he l:'a initant. Tha object your Cc-iaiDer has in v.ew m recn.'.aiencID4 the V abii.: tVorkj Departures;, hn our hdart:e.«i syinpiihr. s.nd the directors will be glai to lupport your effort* in every way, &n<t hope ihey will result in success.—Yours faithfully, Mill*. Minister Director.

The promptitude with which the directors of the Union Company responded in this matter obtained due appreciation from tne Chamber, and it is likely that the iniluenoe of the company was an important factor in inducing the Hon. the Minister for Public Works to give so favourable a reply to the deputation from the Chamber, though to all appearances the justice cf the request was to the Minister's mind altogether seU-sucgestive. Captain Yates, at the invitation of the Caamber, gave a long and inte.-esticg account of the interview between the deputation and th-e Minister tor Public Works, which was brierly supplemented by the Secretary ; and after eulogistic expressions by members on the satisfactory way in which the deputation had done its work, and its equally satisfactory results, a cordial and unanimous vote of thank 3 was passed to the deputation, in accordance with the tenor of the discussion.

The question of the Grammar School ior Onehunga, arising out of Sir G. M. <J\Rorke"a letter, was considered, and evoked an animated discussion, which drifted into what some members considered the more important matters of the present state of the primary school in the town ; and after the whole history of the school, and the diincnlties whioh attended the acquirement of a site at the time of its contemplated building, had been repealed, it became by mutual consent an accepted fact that the present school and it 3 surroundings are but

a very small degree removed from a common cess - pit, and altogether a blot upon our excellent education system and its administration. It is highly probable that the subject of taking steps to secure a proper site and a suitable school for so large a number of children as thoie attending at Onehunga, will be fulJy ventilated at the annual meeting of householders on the 28th inst. It was finally resolved re the Grammar School that a letter be sent to Sir G. O'Rorke, asking how the Chamber can most effectually co-operate with him in securing the object indicated by his letter.

Mr. Mclntyke informed the Chamber that there was every reason to expect th3t arrangements for telephonic communication with Auckland would be completed in a week or ten davs from that time.

Dr. Scott (the Mayor) was "naaimoualy elected a member of the Chamber after which the Chairman declared the usual adjournment.