CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2431, 20 February 1909, Page 5

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

GENERAL MEETING

A general meeting of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce was held in the Borough Council Chambers -last evening. There was a large attendance-, and Air. John Townley presided. The chairman stated that the new Chamber had now been formed three months. At first it had been difficult to get members together, owing, first to the elections, and then the holidays, but now it was properly started, and the Chamber was proving itself a live body, and had come important matters under weigh. Chief among these were the Gis- ' borne Napier railway, direct shipments to Gisborne, continuous telephone service, completion of the \Vaikar emo a n a-R-o t-or u a track, so that tourists can come straight on from Rotorua to the Waikaremoana hake, and several other matters. Tho membership now stood at 43. and was increasing rapidly. As there hadbeen a difficulty in the past in getting a quorum with so small an Executive, it was decided to increase the number to IS. The following names were accordingly added to the Executive: -—Messrs. W. L. Rees, A. F. Dewing] W. Bissaut Clayton, T. J. Adair, J. R. Kirk. J. B. Kells. C. J. Bennett, W. D. Lysnar, A. S. Waclisinann, an<[ J. R. Redstone. Air. Toneyeliffe asked permission to make an explanation regarding a criticism of his remarks at a former meeting, which had appeared in the “Napier Daily Telegraph.” He said the article had been based on a brief account- of the Chamber’s proceedings, and the report had left out one very important- portion of his remarks. Tilts was that in saying a Xapier-Gisborne railway would possibly be a bad thing for Gisborne, he had added, “except we get a good harbor.” This sentence materially altered the tone of his remarks. The speaker proceeded to urge the importance of a harbor for this district. So long as Napier had a good har-

bor. and we had none, any extension of the railway north from Napier would benefit- the southern town to the detriment of Gisborne. Looking loom a broad point of view, he must confess that the construction of a railway from Napier to Gisborne would be i’or the good of the settlers and for the country as a whole, but it could not be gainsaid that under existing circumstances it would be distinctly prejudicial to business interests in Gisborne. Reverting to the harbor issue. Air. Toneyeliffe said he had seen Timaru in the old days, when iti awful wind-swept beach had been the bugbear of mariners. If ever there was any chance of a southern gale coming oil all the vessels had to clear out to sea. He himself had seen five wrecks there one morning. When harbor construction was mooted there every argument at present used in Gisborne was also used in Timaru against loan proposals. It was predicted first that no big vessels would ever go into Timaru, and secondly that no insurance company would insure them if they did. Yet now the biggest strips went safely and conveniently into trie Timaru harbor, and they were all insured. The Timaru people had their difficulties. They built a breakwater which would stand the sea. and then found that a bed of shifting shingle blocked it up, transforming a place where 40ft- of water had been into dry land. But the Timaru people had not accepted defeat. They had not talked of rates or other obstacles; they were determined to have an effective harbor ; and they had gone ahead with energy and determination. An outer wall had been built, and this had given complete satisfaction. The result had been to cause Timaru to advance in progress and general prosperity to a remarkable degree. He understood that it would take seven years to build a harbor iu Gisborue, and he hoped that the loading men of the town would not waste time fighting shadows, but would get to work on it. People talked of rates, but few had' any conception of the amount they were paying annually as the resuit of the heavy freight charges.for this port. Air. AY. Lissant Clayton said ho disagreed with Air. Toneyclift’e’s views as to the likelihood of the proposed railway being harmful to Gisborne. It was not- in order to debate the matter at that stage, but if it ever came up lie hoped the Chamber would never be so misguided as to oppose the construction of any line that would give Gisborne communication with some other town. Air. AY. Pettie asked what was being done with regard to an improved service between Gisborne and Wairoa. He also referred to the inconvenience caused by having to ring up Napier first whenever it was desired to communicate by telephone with Wairoa.

Tho Chairman said he had been assured by the Chief Postmaster that letters for W-airoa were not detained' in the post-office, ft posted at Gisborne after tho weekly Wail coach had left for Wairoa, they wore sent on by steamer to Napier, and thence bv boat to Wairoa. If the. Napier-Wairoa boat was barbound they were sent on by coach. Several speakers pointed out that this was far from satisfactory,. and it was decided to bring the matter under the. attention of the Government. The chairman said tlie matter of tho telephone service t-o Wairoa was already under, the consideration of the Postmaster-General. Some routine business was then transacted, and the Chamber adjourned.