ANNIVERSARY DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27499, 20 September 1950, Page 10

ANNIVERSARY DAY

Second Monday In March CHAMBER’S PROPOSAL A decision to support the observance of Anniversary Day in Dunedin on the second Monday in March of every year was made by the council of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce yesterday. The secretary, Mr J. D. Hanning, reported that this date had been agreed upon by educational authorities who formerly had indicated that they could not support the proposed observance of Anniversary Day on the Monday nearest March 23. The council decided to refer the proposal to other organisations for their opinions. The secretary pointed out that the second Monday in March would not coincide at any time with the Easter holiday observance. Haast Pass Road In reply to the Otago Builders and Contractors’ Association, which asked the assistance of the chamber in urging the Government to complete at least enough of the southern part of the Haast Pass road to allow the tremendous quantity of indigenous timber available in the area to be made use of by the building industry, the executive stated that the chamber had already sponsored the early completion of the road provided that the work was financed from other than Main Highways Board funds. The executive reported that Associated Chambers had been asked to approach the Commissioner of Taxes with the suggestion that the capital expenditure involved in providing fire escapes should be written off in about 10 years by a special depreciation allowance, as the provision of fire escapes as required under recent legislation did not add substantially to the value of a building. The district engineer of the Post and Telegraph Department advised that the chamber’s suggestion that the charge for the use of slot telephones should be Id for each 1£ minutes instead of 2d for an unlimited time was impracticable because a timing device could not be used with new instruments, and the procedure to be adopted would really be of benefit to users of telephones. Shipping Service The executive reported that the Associated Chambers of New Zealand had communicated with the Associated Chambers of Australia suggesting that the latter organisation should use its influence to have the Australian Government support the Canada-Australia-New Zealand shipping service because of its importance to the three countries concerned. An interim reply stated that the matter would be considered carefully. ■ The executive advised that a memorandum covering about 20 points had been sent by Associated Chambers to the Government as a result of a suggestion by the Minister of Labour, Mr Sullivan, that the views of the chambers on the order of reference for the commission of inquiry into the waterfront would be welcomed.

The president, Mr C. T. Haberfield, was appointed ot represent the chamber on the Otago Development Council, apd Mr D. F. Inglis was appointed to represent the chamber on the executive of Federated Farmers of Otago.