INVERCARGILL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Southland Times, Issue 3311, 30 January 1879, Page 3

INVERCARGILL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

. "..-;,.-, 7-^-T ■ -_„_»• „. . ■. - A meeting of the Clamber of Commerce was held yesteiday a. 3.30 p.m. Present— Messrs Turnbull; (chapman), Stewart, Perkins,; Reade, Brodrict^Stock, arid H- Feldwick. ; 7 a';aa- XX::■.■•.' ::■.■•. ••,"■.''■ ;A letter /was i.read* from MrArthur^RaU- , ..way Mariagei-,7iri;tiinatiri£s that hew. rates ? had been fixed, arid that tiie7 same; would 'come into operation on 6th February, Mr Stewart— The; rate now ; Would be 3d a ton per mile. 7L 7 - 7 . The Chairman— Thechauge spoken: to by Mr 7Conyers had been adopted. ------ -^-~~-- ..._..; A Hetio"-.'-n o "- l ' e axT r xrpm the Colonial Secretary as to arrangements for the forthcoming International Exhibition at Sydney, and invitirig the cooperation of -the Chamber as 'follows :—" To the Chairman of the Chariiber '; of: Commerce, InvercarigilL— Coloriial Secretary's Office/Wellington, 21st January, 1879. — Sir,— l have the honor by. direction of, the Colonial Secretary to ifif orin you that it would be very gratifying to the Government; if the Chamber- oyer which you preside would uudeftake to act-as a local committee in concert with' the Royal Commission which has been; appointed for the purpose "of re- > iceiving and -arranging . articles, intended for exportation at the approaching Intbrnatibnal Exhibition to be held at Sydney in . August next. I am further directed to enclose for the toforinatiori of the Chamber six copies of the New Zealand .Gazetteof 213 th rAprii; 187,8, containing the ■programme of the Exhibition and' conditions^ under which articles will be received, &c. I also euclr S3 six copies of the New Zealand Gazette of the 21st, containing a notice; from, the departoa;the subjestfof the transport arid disposal of exhibits; .-: Instructions; have been c given to the Collector of Customs to cb-bperate in every way with the Chamber of Commerce, TT^- " t ~-~»* !! Vn ge £ or c t vans^ as i o n_n,lv.«----hibits at the' public expense, and. free of charge to the exhibitors.— l have /the 7 .'honor to be, &c, (signed) G. S. Cooper." "Letters were also read from the Marine Department, Wellington,; ; and the clerk of the_ Bluff /Harbor .Board,,as to the recent Harbor Boards Act, and pointing out that, it rested with the Chamber to return one member for the Harbor Board, and that the election, under the Act, would fall to take place on thesecbhd- Monday to February. Mrßrodrick called attention to the railway terminal rate of 2s 6d per tori on goods,f rom Bluff to Invercargiii, and said that it was 7 very oppressive and absurdly too high— I being merely for the- handling bf goods; arid there being cartage besides. The half would ! be enough. ; j Members concurred in this, and Mr Turn- | bull -suggested, as the Minister of Public Works was to be in Invercargiii on Saturday, that a meeting should be had with him prithe subject. With reference to this approaching visit, Mr Feldwick reminded the Chamber of the matter as to the, con version of the Custorii House toto a hall of justice, T where the courts could be held, arid the substitution .of the present Resident Magistrate's Court as, the Custom. House, which i would Ibe a great iinproyement and much to the convenience of the commercial men -to town, the legal body also not being opposed to the change. For this purpose Government had agreed to add £2000 to the estimates, but by some oversight this had only been done to the extent of £1000. However, the remaining £1000 would be included in the next estimates. Tietailed plans and estimates of the proposed alterations to the Custom House were in the hands of the Government, and the amount was £1750. Mr Stuart had taken a great interest in the proposal from the first, and had made many suggestions as to it, but was not a member of the Chamber. His name might be added to the list of any deputation that might be appointed to wait on the Ministers. All the members were unanimous as to'the advisability of the proposed changes being carried through, and of their being brought under the notice of Ministers when here to wards the end of the week, and the following/motion as to this arid the terminal rate aboVe'mentioned, moved by Mr Brodrick and. seconded by Mr Perkins, was agreed to :—" The subcommittee,- consisting of the chairman; Mr ;Stpck,>and the mover, wait upon the Minister - to ask him. either to exterminate the terminal charge on goods by the.Bluff and Invercargiii railway or make a reduction to the charge, and also the advisability of removing the present . Custom-house to the Government Buildings, and that the .names of" Messrs Stuart: and Feldwick be added to the subcommittee." 1 Mr Stewart pointed out to the meeting the extreme toeonvenience to the public from the present bad arrangement of the trains on the Bluff line, and proposed that a deputation should wait on Mr. Arthur, general manager, to obtain a change. Mr Brodrick — At present passengers by the train have only, at most, half an hour at the Bluff before its return. It should be an hour at least. The meeting were unanimous to considering that the present times of the trains were absurd, and in wishing alterations ; and on the motiou of Mr Perkins, seconded by Mr Stock, it was agreed, " That a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Stock, McPherson, . and the mover, -wait upon Mr Arthur, the traffic irianager, with a view to obtain an additional daily train to the Bluff." A conversation of members then took to the necessary arrangements for- the ensuing election of a member $6 the Bluff Harbor-' Board, and as to the hour at which ' it should be fixed, the Board having to meet on the same day. Meanwhile the Secretary was instructed to procure copies of - the Harbor Act, and any of the Acts bearing upon trade and commerce, Mr. Feldwick stating that by an Act of last session it was determined that Acts of that class; should be furnished gratuitously to Chambers of Commerce, Harbor Boards, &c. The letter of the Colonial Secretary as to the approaching International Exhibition at Sydney was then taken i up, and members entering cordially into the spirit of the object of that communication, the. Secretary was instructed to acknowledge it and to state that anything the. Chamber could do in the way of assisting the Commissioners, they would be most happy; / "/;7; 777 Three new members (Messrs Birch, Waddel, and A. White)/ were added to the Chamber, on the motion of ~Mr Perkins, seconded by Mr Brodrick. j The meeting then adjourned. ".