HAMILTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 5507, 13 January 1914, Page 2

HAMILTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A meeting of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce was held last night in the Borough Council Chambers. Mr R. J. Gwynne presided. Interests of Hamilton. Mr Auld initiated a discussion on the encouragement of people to trade in Hamilton, and it was agreed to offer a guinea to the Winter Show Association with the request that it should be given as a prize for the best paper on "Why people should do their business in Hamilton." Railway Services. Mr Auld also brought under the notice of the chamber the necessity of an improvement of the train services, and it was agreed that the railways committee should go into the matter in view of probable alterations under the new manager. The arrangements at Frankton Junction were also criticised, and it was pointed out that it was time that steps were taken to remedy the great inconvenience which travellers suffer. Relations With Borough Council. Mr Auld, referring to the relations between the chamber and the borough Council, said that with reference to the attitude taken up by some members of the borough council some statement should be made, as voicing the opinion of the chamber. Keen objection had been taken to the chamber making recommendations or something of that kind. "What," asked Mr Auld, "is the work of the chamber"?— The president: The interests of the town.—Mr Auld said I the members of the borough council I were forgetting that the business they represented was not their own business, but the business of the people. They were their representatives, and the chamber 'had a right to voice their own business. —Mr Sandes said probably the expressions referred to were only those of an individual and not of the council as a body.—Mr Auld: 1 think we must feel that we and the public have quite a right to criticise anybody.

—ln reply to Mr Auld Mr Gwynne added that the chamber would continue in their way of doing their business. Invitation to Rotorua. The secretary of the Rotorua Chamber sent an invitation to the president to the annual dinner on Friday, next, at which the Hon. W. H. Herries is to be the guest of the evening.—The president was authorised to represent the chamber on that occasion. A Model M.P. The president moved an expression of appreciation of the attention given to local affairs by Mr J. A. Young, M.P., and the courtesy always extended by him. Mr Young, he added, was the most attentive member in the House.—Agreed to. Telephone Accommodation. Mr J. A. Young, M.P. for Waikato, forwarded to the president a reply from the Postmaster-General, Mr Rhodes, of date Bth December, to the letter about the post and telegraph arrangements at Hamilton, to the effect that the chief telegraph engineer would proceed to Hamilton in a week or two to report on the best position for the automatic telephone exchange. The whole matter of accommodation would receive careful consideration. —The president stated that the officials had visited Hamilton and arranged for the erection of a separate building for the telephone exchange at the rear of the post office, the alterations to which would shortly be taken in hand. This was all the business.