CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13337, 13 July 1907, Page 3

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A meeting of the committee of the Chamber of Commerce was held last evening. Present: Messrs J. P. Newman (president), Turner, White, Godfrey, Penrose, Eaton, and Fraser (secretary). The chairman reported that he had seen the chief postmaster about having the telephone station open all night. Mr McHutcheson told him that he hoped to have the new system installed very shortly, a good deal of the material for it having arrived. If the majority of the subscribers desired to have an all-night or Sunday service, it could be had on the increase of annual fee to £7 7s if for business people only, or to £6 6s if applied all round. The committee decided that the time was not yet ripe for tha increased service, as it was considered doubtful whether any great number of subscribers would consent to pay the additional fee.

Messrs Turner and Cray reported the result of inquiries made into complaints of carriers that they were required to sign for goods at the railway goods shed before-'ifcey got them. The officers denied this, 'but said that carters made it a common practice—for their own convenience. A letter "was read from the Hon. R. McNab, Acting Minister of Railways, saying that it was impracticable to supply sheep trucks to meet all possible demands in a busy season. A quantity of correspondence on the subject was read, and also on the inadequate facilities for handling goods at the wharves, and the committer determined to press these matters on the attention of the Department. The Grocers' Association asked for ths assistance of the Chamber in preventing unlicensed hawkers trading in Timaru. and the S2cretary was requested to ask for a letter stating a fpecific '. case or cases with* a view to further inquiry.