CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14327, 18 October 1910, Page 7

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MONTHLY MEETING. Tlie monthly meeting of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce was lioki last night. Present —Messrs 01. S. Cray, President, ,(ill the eliair), C. S. Eraser (secretary), \V. Priest, J. Li. Gillies, A Baseand, J. C. Oddie, E S. Candy. It. H. Bowie, D. C. Turnbull, T. i). Young, E. It. Gillingliam, and .]. P. Newman. An apology for absence was received from Mr K. (J. Turner. GRAIN STATISTICS. The lion T. Mackenzie wrote further iu regard to the collection of grain statistics stating that he was emphatically of opinion that the method adopted last year would have proved satisfactory had the season been a normal one. The method suggested by the Chamber had beeu tried and proved a failure. Mr Turnhuil said the Minister seemed to have lost sight of the fact that the areas of grain under crop supplied by the Department- were oomplet-ely out. The figures were nearly all given in round numbers—so many thousands. Mr J. P. Newman said that eve>"yone except the Minister seemed to be able to see a way to do the thing properly. Mr Mackenzie scorned to throw cold water 011 the suggestions made for improving the method. If it were mads compulsory for tlie farmers to send in correct returns that would be a decided improvement. All the other chambers supported the view taken of it by tlie South Canterbury Chamber, but the Minister seemed determined not to adopt it. Mr Gillingham said it would he a decided improvement if the suggestions oi the South Canterbury Chamber were adopted, and lie tho'ugbt they should again urge the Minister to them. He was convinced that farmers would lill in the necessary returns if asked to do so. ft was decided to again write to the Minister to this effect. Srii.YEYOR FOR. TIM A IMF.

I Lloyd s Registrar of British and For- ! eign_ Shipping advised in reply to n request irmii the chamber that the appointment. a surveyor to this society , at ! iniaru had been given to Captain I I ''it. .Lhis was considered very sut.'s- : iactory. -Mr } oung stating that such an appointment was a distinct gain to ! Timaru. j DEFJSIUtED CABLES. ' . Dunedin Chamber of Commerce ionvarded copy of a. letter to the Post-master-General upon the question of ■deterred cables, and asked the South Canterbury Chamber to support the views expressed therein. The .Dunedin Chamber had been informed that the Pacific Cable Board lately had under consideration the question of deferred cabin messages, which they proposed to send at low rates during slack hours, thus allowing the public a reduced tariif on messages not of ail urgent nature, but- the proposal was blocked by the American Companies concerned in the transmission of the Pacific Board's messages across the Atlantic, so that reduced rates seemed to be impracticable imtil the Board had their own British - owned Atlantic * cable. Tlie situation was very unsatisfactory, and it would be agreed that a Britishowned cable should be speedily laid, so ujat- questions regarding cable business between distant parts of the British Empire should be free from foreign control or influence. The tariff for deferred messages should be fixed at not over Is per word and the guaranteed si me of delivery limited to iwentv-four hours from time of receipt from the sender. It was decided to support these proposals. r OTHER CORRESPONDENCE. liie u Chamber forwarded copy 01 a petition which it had sent "to the in regard to telephones ; iiu ier better facilities and reduced charges. A letter was read from the Labour Day demonstration Committee asking ior some assistance in making the play a success. —it was said that most members of the Chamber had already contributed to the funds and that there was no necessity for the Chamber to grant anything. Mr GilJiughaiu reported that the Postal Department had agreed to give a twice a week delivery to the settlers in the Asiiwi-k blat district, as the result- oi. tlie representations made by the Chamber and the Mackenzie County Council. As the result of a discussion initiated by the secretary, it "was decided to ask the Department to instal telephones in the main goods store of the ' railway yard as well as in the parcels otlice for the benefit of those ushif 1 these buildings. . The President said lie had been asked i by Mr \\. Evans to briny; forward (.he | matter of the lack of uniformity in tlie charges made by the TJ.S.S. Coy. for the carriage of grain. J lie matter wa.s fully discussed and 1 it- was decided to ask the Union Com- ! pnny to place the carriage of grain 011 : a unilorm basis for all ports, the basis to be 22-K)lb. per ton. ! _ "\VIUTJ\G IX .SCHOOLS. M riting in schools was the next to come under- consideration and a proposal to oiler prizes for writing was discussed. it was said that writing is largely a gilt; chat somy children can write well naturally and that others could never write weiL More than one member s.aid tiiar at the High Schools children had their writing spoilt. One saul there used to be belter writing at the Riga School* years ago than now, wniio another said there were some good wmcrs at the High Schools this year. Mr priest remarked that in the e.ujj-kdays the A\aimataitai School used to be noted ior good writers. It was decided to devote £o for prizes m writing, all the schools in Si'utii Canterbury, both primarv and hi.irh TO be allowed to compete, and the isuutli Lanterbury Teachers' Institute to be asked to advise as to the best ntetliou o[ distributing the prize money and to the conditions under which it snoukl lie competed for. NEWSIiOYS ON TRAINS. . Newman suggested that the Minister lor Railways be written to and asked to put a, stop to newsbovs runim'f through the. trains with books and papers as they do. They were, he declareo, a positive nuisance, and would not be toier&ted in any other oounti-y. Mi iurhbull expressed similar sentiments. -1 Ml " G !"'' n a;ham said that people could buy their books and papers at the hook stalls quite well, hut he doubted whether the Government could interfere with the nowshoys unless thev stopned the sale of papers on the trains altogether. . Tt »' ;IS decide:! to write to the. Min- ' ister in terms of Newman's sueegstion. The President supplied some mter&etm_3 information, statistical and otherwise concerning the trade of the norfc for the r>ast month, and after deciding to ask Mr G. T. Booth, of Christclniroh" to come to Timarn to give aTI address under the auspices of the Chamber the meeting closed. '