CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17742, 20 June 1929, Page 9

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MEETING AT MATAMATA. WORK 6F THE YEAR. The annual meeting of the Matamata Chamber of Commerce was presided over by Mr B. G. Taylor. There was a fair attendance. The president’s report stated that during the year the Chamber’s relations with bodies such as the Town Board, the A. and P. Association and the Farmers’ Union had been very harmonious. Members of all these bodies were beginning to realise that they must work together for the common good. The Chamber had been unsuccessful in its efforts to get direct telephone connection with Tauranga, and it looked to the other bodies to assist it when the matter came up again. Its application for a late-fee letter-box at the railway station had been turned down, but it was not intended to let this rest, as a box would prove a great convenience. The half-holiday question had been a vexed one in Matamata, and the Chamber had lost several members through the controversy. The president’s opinion was that the only solution of the half-holiday question was to make it universal, and representations would be made to the Government to that efrect. There were many estates in the vicinity of Matamata suitable for cutting up, and the Government had been urged to facilitate the division of the larger estates The balance sheet, which showed a credit of £9 13s id, was adopted. The election of officers resulted: President, Mr B. C. Taylor; vicepresidents, Messrs G. G. Bell and R. W. Stevens; secretary, Mr H. E. SchoOeld; treasurer, Mr G. G. Griffiths; auditor, Mr T. J. Underwood; members of council—Officers ex officio and Messrs W. L. Barkman, W. Halligan, L. Flower, H. Keelcy and A. E. Wriglcy. Mr R. W. Stevens read an interesting lecturette on “Rating on Unimproved Values,” by Mr J. R. 0. Lockhead, Putaruru, and a number of those present expressed their views. It was decided to invite Messrs J. Thornes and A. Dibble, of Auckland, to give addresses on this subject in Matamata. It was further decided to obtain the necessary number of signatures to a requisition to the Town Board asking for a poll to be taken to decide the advisability of Matamata changing over to rating on unimproved value. The Chamber was quite neutral in the matter, and only proposed to test the feeling of the ratepayers. Several speakers spoke strongly ol the disadvantage Matamata suffered from in not having a licensed hotel in the town, and it was decided to urge on the Government the desirability of a redistribution of licenses on a population basis.