THAMES NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 10244, 9 December 1910, Page 2

THAMES NEWS.

DISTRICT MATTERS.

DIEAILT WriH B)T CHAMBER OF

COiMaftEffiiCE.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

At Wednesday's meeting of the Thames Chamber of Commerce the Council reported on the various matters .that had been dealt with during the past quarter. We make the follortJDg extracts from the report:

Incorporation of Chamber: Tho rules adopted at the last meeting ol ih'eChamber have been duly restored and the Chamber has been incorporated under "The Incorporated Societies Act, 1908." The rules h.ivo been printed and copies are now available for members. The present mennpbership is 60, but as the northern •end -of the town has not yet bwn canvassed, a considerable increase on this number may be expected.

Protest agaijpst proposed subsidy to Northern Steamship Company for the Piako trade: Notification has been received from the TTnder-'Siecretary for L«nd!s that the request for a' subsidy Will not be granted. The Councu is therefore pleased to report that tne interests of Thames merchants and boatmen have been preserved in this matter.

Faulty Telephone Communication : A.strong protest has been made: to tb.e Department s£ the unsatisfactpi y working of the local • telephone fxchangje. The' Department-has replied that; at some future date the metallic ciiemit system will Jbe : installed in the Thames andl other telephone exchanges. The Council recommends that the Department <be further urged to have the metallic system installed at. once at the' present, want of privacy on the. lines" practically negatives the value of the exchange. ' S: -

Por* of Entry: Application, has been made to the, Marine Department to have the Thames declared a-, port of entry. So fair»no reply has be«n received from the Department.

■Increased "Cam Accommodation; At Shortland Station: This matter has been' brought under the notice of the traffic manager and a« a result it is probable that the increased accommodation required will be shortly provided. ,

Police District Headquarters: The Council has strongly protested against the removal.: of the district -headquartersfrom.the Thames. The Minister of Justice in reply states that tlie .present arrangements are of atemporary nature and that no- permanent change will be made without full inquiry. , , ; Hlao-biour Boards Ball: The priucdpleof elective representation t.:i harbour boards was supported by the Council and , representations ward made to the member for the district •md tie Mnister for Mar!ne»to secure better representation for th&'Tlidnoci proper on the local -Harbour, Board. These representations, were supported by the Thames 'Borougii and/fhamrs County Councils, 'but the Council regrets to report that,l not only were it» efforts futile , in thfe : direction, 'bi.t through some, inexplicable' influence the control of the ißloard has been entirely removed from the Thames, and is now practically in the hands of tha up-country districts. "■ Correspondence and telegrams relative to themattar are attached for the information cf the Chamber.

Connection, with lands on the western side of the Thames river: A ?ettei has. Ibsen received from the Tham.es County Council that the en gineer will report shortly) on the best site for a permanent crossing. ■ The member for the district has been asked to ascertain what assistance tin 1 Government would be likely, ot giva towards the construction of a bridge, but a reply has not yet been received The Council is fully convinced tfcat the site of the crossing is- a. matter of, paramount importance tij Thames;. various interest* are concerned, and it is urged that the people of Thames should use every effort to have the site of the crossing fixed in a position, that '■ will 'be. of the greatest benefit to the Thamesi and. the lands with which communication is desiredl.

Piako Lands: The Council is pleased to report that the settlement! of these lands is progressing satisfactorily, aid a fair volume of trade, is alreidy established! between the Thames arid Piako. Further sections will be thrown open for selection, shortly, and, increased trade may be expected. Th.9 l-oading and draining of these lands is :ibeiiig ■ steadily carried/out by Gc vernroenit., but so far the roads formed have a tendency to divert traffic ft cm Thames rather than to it. Comnfiunication has 'been opened up betweien the Upper Piako and Paeroa. A road has been formed from Pipiroa to Kerepeehi and 1 a 'branch coaJ from Kerepeehi to the TuruanN'ethert<>n road. Another branch road has been formed from Pipiroa to Turua, and a contract has recently been lit by the Thames County Council to complete this road) from the Government boundary into Turua. The road leading in a direct line from Pipiroa to Kopu has been formed by Government to it* 'boundary, and the owners of the land on the line of road between'the .'Government land ard the river have signified their willingness of, giving the land to have the road continued to the river. With a crossing; over the river a,t Kopu, this road would form the shortsst route from the whole of the Lower Piako to the Thames, and the Council urges that a request should "Vei made to the County Cooinioil to have its construction gone on with. i