CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14038, 22 April 1920, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A meeting of the Executive of the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce was held in' the Secretary's rooms" last night. The President of the Chamber presided, and there were also present: Messrs L. E. Haines, A. Hamilton, B. B. Walton. D. L. Patterson, R. A. McDowell, S. Dickson, and R. Finch. Mr J. Rodman forwarded' an apology for unavoidable absence. As arising out of the minutes of the previous meeting. various reports were received and deal with, also correspondence as subnlitteds a committee being set up to attend to the necessary arrangements for the approaching annual meeting of the Chamber, to be held in May. MLembel's present then entered upon what proved to be an interesting if somewhat protracted discussion of the proposals submitted by a deputation ! from the North Otago Hydro-Electri-I city Committee, for whom a special ■ meeting had been held on Friday l;i,st. : In the'interval members, of the Execu- : tive had gone exhaustively into the j Electricity Committee's suggestions, I and as the discussion progressed last j night it was quite clear that unanim- [ ity could not- be attained, and finally j on a majority veto it was resolved that i meantime the policy of the North Otago Hydro Electricity Committee !in joining the rest of Otago in the formation of an Electricity Power District in terms of the Electric Power Board Act. 1918. endorsed. It was clearly understood that- no scheme was before the Executive,' and that until such scheme , was formulated the Chamber and its members as a body should be held free from any more definite pronouncement. This in'view of the public.meeting which the North Otago Electricity Committee were arranging for Tuesday next, when Dunedin delegates would be present to explain, amongst other things, why Dunedin. whilst advocating the scheme suggested. were, as a. rateable body, standing out of the prescribed area. ,/ Thus members of the Chamber interested are left free to gather from the public meeting what information may therefrom be obtainable to arrive at any further conclusion regarding the scheme and its potentialities for the supply: of electricity for general domestic, power, and irrigation purposes throughout- the district of North Otago.