CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 August 1930, Page 10

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P SEPARATE CONTROL OF RAILWAYS AUCKLAND OPINION SUPPORTED. There was a good attendance of members of the executive of Stratford Chamber of Commerce at last night’s meeting. In the absence of the president (Mr. J.°B. Richards), Mr. W. MacDonald was elected to, the chair. The Auckland chamber wrote asking for' support for its action in addressing a letter to’the Prime Minister containing a resolution to' the effect that the chamber was of opinion that the only means of satisfactorily solving the many difficulties which at present faced the railway system of the Dominion, and especially of converting it into an effective service.paying its own way on proper commercial lines, lays in the direction of at once divorcing it from political control and interference and placing control under a commission or board of directors. In an explanatory paragraph the chamber stated that the suggestion was urged because such a question appeared to be outside the order of reference submitted to the Royal Commission now sitting on a railway investigation. Mr. A. Coleman said the chamber was already committed to the principle. He agreed with the recent remarks of Mr. H. H. Sterling that the railways could not be expected to pay while they were managed politically, but judged commercially. The Auckland chamber is to be advised that the Stratford chamber heartily supports-its attitude, and it was decided to send that body a copy of the resolutions already passed by the Stratford chamber on the same subject and sent to the Hon. R. Masters. In view of the refusal of the Department of Agriculture to appoint clerical assistance in the office of the Stratford stock inspector, the chamber decided to forward copies of its' correspondence on the matter to the Stratford branch of the Farmers’ Union, seeking co-opera-' tion in making further representations. Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., wrote that he had again drawn the attention of the Minister of Public Works to the question of the Stratford-Ohura main highway, but so far, had received no definite reply. The Associated Chambers of Commerce forwarded a supply of pamphlets containing an address delivered by Mr. C. M. Bowden to the Masterton chamber giving an outline 'of the • achievements of the 1928 Committee and of the work to be carried out. The Associated Chambers also forwarded the following resolution, asking for the chamber’s opinion: “That the attention of all chambers of commerce be -drawn to the fact that orchardists are dependent too largely upon imported requisites, and that this suggests a field for catering in orchard , implements, spray materia! and other requisites.”

■ ' GENERAL ITEMS. Judgment by default was given by Mr. R. V/. Tate,- S.M., at the Eltham Magistrate’s Court yesterday for E. H. Thomas v. Robert Blackstock, for £7 16s. 3d., and costs £1 10s. 6d« At the Eltham Police Court yesterday George Sidney Vickers, Midhirst, was fined £2 10s., and costs 155., and ordered to pay £2 towards making good the damage on a charge of wilfully damaging property at Taumata • Park, Eltham.

Charles Eversfield Thompson, now residing at Wellington, was charged at the Eltham Police-. Court yesterday with failing to deliver to the Defence Department certain articles of. equipment valued at £4 15s. sd. Defendant had now returned most of the articles, declared Warrant Officer J. L. Rowe. Defendant was ordered to’return the remaining articles, or pay their ‘ value, 7s. 2d., also to pay-kosts, 10s. Sentence, deferred from the previous sitting, was passed on the following defendants at the Eltham Police Court yesterday:- D. Denham, “for riding a bicycle without a light, fined £l, and costs 10s.; George Martin, for not having a motor driver’s license, fined £l, and costs 10s.; Brian Malone, for having no silencing .device on his motorcycle, fined £4, and costs 10s., and for having no warning device on his motor-cycle, convicted and discharged on payment of costs, 12s. According to advice received by the Stratford Chamber of Commerce from the postmaster, there is a probability of a second public slot telephone being erected in Stratford. The postmaster advised that following upon the chamber’s representations in the matter the erection of the second telephone cabinet had been recommended and had been, included in the schedule of works proposed for this year. The. schedule, added the postmaster, has not yet been approved, but there was no reason to doubt that the work would be proceeded with. “It is the custom- for a chairman of directors at a meeting like this to deliver an elaborate address which, besides wasting the time of suppliers, has no beneficial effect, and in many cases is nothing but a mass of twaddle; I will, therefore, be as brief as possible,” said Mr A. W. Budge, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet at the annual meeting of the To Popo Dairy Company ’ yesterday. The final of the Taranaki primary schools Rugby competition for the Linkhorn Cup will be decided at Inglewood at 1 p.m. on Friday. So far this season Stratford has scored 114 points without having its line crossed. Waitara is also in good fettle, and the game, which carries the provincial championship with it, should be interesting. To finalise the junior competition Turuturu (Hawera) and Moturoa (New Plymouth) will play at Stratford at 10.15 a.m. on Saturday,

For the destruction of insulators belonging to the Post and Telegraph Department, four boys were severely admonished in the Stratford Children’s Court on Monday, their parents being ordered to pay court costs and the amount of the damage, totalling £1 for each boy.