ACCESS FOR CITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26853, 18 August 1948, Page 6

ACCESS FOR CITY

REPORT TO CHAMBER DISCUSSION ON AIRPORTS At a meeting of the council of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, last evening a report was presented by Mr W. J. Winefield dealing with the recommendations and findings of a meeting of interested bodies convened to discuss the main access roads north and south from Dunedin. . The report suggested improvements to the Mount Cargill road and the ultimate completion of a main state highway via the Leith Valley and Waitati. The chamber endorsed the proposals as contained in the report. In a report of the Executive Committee of the chamber it was stated that a letter had been received from the Christchurch Chamber asking for Dunedin support for a South Island air terminal at Harewood. The executive advised that, in view of a previous decision to support Invercargills claims for a terminal, it should be suggested to Christchurch that the subject might go on the agenda of the South Island chambers’ annual conferenit6was pointed out by Mr J. L. Johnston that the Manufacturers Association had decided to advocate a South Island terminal, without specifying any particular location. He thought this the wiser course. The chairman, Mr A. C. Stephens, said the Dunedin Chamber should give Invercargill every opportunity to prepare its case, and then if it failed it should support any concerted drive for a South Island terminal, irrespective of where it might be. The executive also reported that an intimation had been received from the Otago Harbour Board that its chairman had not yet received information from overseas regarding seaplane b3SGS Mr Stephens asked members if they has seen a recent comment made by Sir Keith Park, that seaplanes would not be the means of overseas passenger transport. Coining from such an authority it appeared as though it was of no moment whether Otago Harbour or any other harbour was suitable for seaplanes. Commenting upon the executives report that the State Advances Cor poration was the major shareholder in a • recently-formed tyre retreading company in the North Island, the chairman stated he understood that the practice of the department in such cases was to hold the shares until the business was established and then hand them over to some returned soldier or soldiers, as a method of rehabilitation. The executive of the chamber also referred to correspondence between the Associated Chamber and the Minister of Finance, in which Mr Nash referred to over-importation of certain goods. The executive agreed that such was the case, and that the overimportation taking place with certain goods naturally affected the amount available for import licences in respect of other lines. The chairman referred to the deaths of Mr J. D. McKechnie, Mr H. L. Smith and Mr J. M. Thomson, all of whom had been valued members of the Chamber, and who had held prominent positions in the commercial life of the city. The sympathy of the Chamber had been conveyed to the relatives. Members stood fof a moment as a mark of respect.