Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 11. 1908 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11248, 11 April 1908, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 11. 1908 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The subject taken up 'by a correspondent m another column is one deserving the attention of the heads of all mercan T tile houses m Gisborne. As the writer points out, the time has surely arrived when a town of the size and importance of Gisborne should have a branch of the grout organisation of Chambers of pommerce, which has spread itself throughout tho Empire and is to bo found, m almost every trading centre, watching over tho interests of local trade, and "industry, governing to some extent the conditions under which such trade, and industry are carried on, arid forming a valuable meqium o f communication between business people themselves and between them and outside interests or authority. We should say that the heed. for a Chamber of Comimcrce Mas greater m Gisborne than m most other towns m the- Dominion. In a rapidly-dcvelopmg aistrict there must be numerous matters affecting business life that require the attention of some pro-perly-constituted authority representing business interests. Railway construction, road .extension, shipping facilities, postal services^ harbor tantf , breakwater construction, coach services, are - but a. few of .the matters of general interest affecting; the welfare of the whole com liriunity ypon which a Chamber of Commerce might be expected;, by expressing the ■ collective opinions and demands of business people, to wield a very useful influence; whilst m matters 'more closely affecting the traders themselves the Chamber would stand as a. valuable .means of inter-communication and.'arrangement, for the protection of mutual interests and to ensure honest, fair and satisfactory dealing, jllio great need of Gisborne is to extehd its commercial boundaries, and though individual firms are doing a, good 'deal to secure to this town ah established » trade with Waia'pu, Vy.a'imt, and Opotiki, we are sure tliat with a Chamber of Cominercß m exists ence, to -make representations l ; on iriattors of communication, etc., and to disseminate information, there would , be greater." prospects of success. The. Chamber would be able not only to seek fulfilment of local requirements and to ventilate grievances, but it would form a valuable medium for advertising this district and its products m other portions of New Zealand and abroad. In other centred the returns periodically prepared by- the Chambers, indicating such matters as the output' of local produce and manufactures, the imports and the exports, and the shipping traffic, are esteemed of great value and importance, and m this direct tion a Chamber of Commerce would do good work here. It is many years since the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce was m active existence. For reasons that are difficult to explain, ;it gradually languisheel and' died, though splendid efforts wcro made from tinie to time m later days to effect resuscitation. Now, how-ever,-.-that-we have established here a number of the leading commercial houses of the Dominion, we are sure that the non-existejice •of a Chamber requires only . to b&'i-brouglit forcibly iindei" the notice of the gentlemen m control to prompt them to take steps to revive and reform so valuable an institution. The correspondent who has brought Ihe/inattei*. -fprwafd. will be doivig good service if he ', fol lows his expressed determination to pursue the matter further. •