CAMBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Waikato Independent, Volume V, Issue 320, 5 January 1907, Page 6

CAMBRIDGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

A meeting of the Council of the above Chamber was held in Mr E. Yeale’s office on Thursday evening. Present—Messrs J. H. Hammond (President, in the chair), R- J. Roberts. R. T. Tudehope, C. C. Buckland, "W. Gardner and C. Reid. TEE NEW POST OFFICE. The Government’s offer to erect a clock tower on the proposed new post office and give a subsidy of £3OO towards the cost of a chiming clock, provided the inhabitants of Cambridge raised the other half, the total cost of the clock being £6OO, was considered.. The President said the Chamber had really got more from the Government than they had asked for, and he thought the offer was a very liberal one. He said the chiming clock would be useful and ornamental and a valuable asset to the town, pie did not anticipate there would be any great difficulty in raising the required amount, as several persons had already signified their intention of making handsome donations to the fund. He thought it was to the interest of every resident of the place to contribute something to the fund. The Borough Council had generously promised to give £IOO if the balance was raised by the inhabitants, and he hoped the money would be raised as quickly as possible. Mr C. Reid said he was not a menaber of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce when the Government w r as asked to provide a clock tower in the new post office, and personally he would rather see the £3OO raised by the inhabitants expended on a clock when new municipal buildings were erected on the Council’s reserve in Lake-street than on the present proposal, because there was a likelihood that if the proposed site of the new post office was finally decided on, the clock would not be heard or seen to the best advantage. Moreover, he thought the money would be better spent on a Borough building than a Government one.

The President said it would be very unwise of the Chamber, after having asked the Government to provide the clock tower, to do anything that would prejudice the offer that had been made to them. Roberts also shared this opinion. Mr Buckland explained that as a Borough Councillor, he had voted against the Council voting £IOO because he did not think that body could afford the money at present. He thought it would be better to erect the clock out of loan money, but as a member of the Chamber, he would do all be could to raise the money for the clock During the discussion, Mr Gardner said that nothing definite had been fixed regarding the site of the new Post-office. Mr Hammond said the question of site was a separate thing altogether, and he hoped they would not raise that question at all. Mr Reid hoped the Chamber would see that the clock was worth the £6OO, its estimated cost.

The President said they could note Mr Reid’s suggestion and see that they got full value for their money, but they did not want it to appear that they mistrusted the Government. A little further discussion ensued and it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Tudehope, seconded by Mr Gardner, that Sir J. G. Ward be thanked for his generous offer to contribute £BOO towards a clock tower and chiming clock, and that as the Cambridge Borough Council ha ye voted £IOO towards the £BOO required, the Chamber of Commerce will take the necessary steps to provide the balance of the fund. Subscription lists will be distributed throughout the district, and a vigorous effort put forth to raise the sum required. TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION. The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce wrote stating that the Minister for Telegraphs had authorised the erection of a direct telephone wire between Hamilton and Auckland, and asking for the cooperation of the Chamber in getting telephone communication between Hamilton and Cambridge and intermediate stations

The President said the Chamber was doing its best in this matter. It was endeavouring to have the line laid on between Cambridge and Pukeroro, and when this was done it was not thought there would be any difficulty in getting the service extended to Tarnahere, three or four miles further on, which is n.ow connected with Hamilton.

Mr W. Gr. Meddings, Acting-Superin-tendent of Electric Lines, wrote re telephonic communication with Karapiro. He stated that when the petition for a telephone office at Karapiro was received in August last, enquiries were made and it was found the estimated deficiency on the working of such an office was £lO 10s per annum. In the latter part of September, Mr Greensladc, M.H.E., was informed that the line would be erected on a guarantee being given, in accordance with certain terms and conditions, and to pay a subsidy of £lO 10s per annum for five years, and the Department now awaited an intimation as to whether the conditions would be complied with. If the Chamber is able to find the required six bondsmen, a bond will be prepared and on its completion the work of erecting the line will be pushed on.

Mr Buckland undertook to interview some of the setters re the guarantee. He telephone communication with Haipaki, the President said the settlers

in that district were not as enthusiastic in the matter as they might be. There appeared to be several difficulties in the way, one of which was the getting of a suitable person to take charge of the telephone office. Mr .1. Gane, however, was interesting himself to get the line laid on from Cambridge to Kaipaki and he (the speaker) thought there was yet a chance of something definite being the outcome.

On the motion of Mr Tudehope, it was resolved to solicit the assistance of again write Mr Greenslade, M.H.R., and request him to endeavour to get the line installed without delay. THE KAP.APIRO POST-OFFICE. Mr W. J. Graham, who is in charge of the recently established post-office in the Karapiro district, wrote suggesting that the post-office there should be called “ Taotaoroa,” and not “ Karapiro,” as the office -was only used by one person living in Karapiro as against thirty householders in Taotaoroa. He stated he wrote to the Postmaster General in the matter, but that gentleman replied that as Karapiro was the name proposed and approved of, it could not be altered very well. From the tone of the writer’s letter, there appears to be a little friction amongst the settlers on the subject. The Council thought there had been quite enough trouble in getting the postoffice established at Karapiro, without interfering in a squabble about the name of the office and it was decided to take no action, RAILWAY FACILITIES. ■The President reported that he had interviewed the local statibnmaster re delivery of goods after arrival of trains, and that gentleman had replied that the matter was receiving his best attention. The stationmaster had pointed out that the delay in delivery of goods was the fault more of the carters than the railway officials. It was resolved that consideration of the question of railway facilities be deferred for the present. H HOKA lIORA RAPIDS. The Superintendent of the Waihi Gold Mining Co. wrote that he did not think the company would renew its application for electrical power from Hora Hora Rapkls for the present. They would probably first see how their experiment with producer gas engines turns out as regards cost. QUARTERLY MEETING. The quarterly meeting of the Chamber was fixed for Thursday, the 17th inst., at 7.30 p.m.