HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 273, 11 August 1908, Page 8

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

lower hutt borough council. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of tin Hutt Borough Council was held last night, 111 tile Mayor's absence Councillor Baldwin was voted.to tho chair. Councillors Judd, Hughes, Wildsmith, Hodgins, O'Sullivan. Ward, were also present. The Wellington Meat Export Company wrote regarding stock driving on the Main Road, ill reply to the letter of July 16, to the effect that the drovers maintain that their representations have not been in any way exonerated.. So far as the road at the back of Nai Naiis concerned, the danger to travelling stock would be minimised if tho Council were to protect the deep drain with a fence, m which case, although the route will add very considerably to tho distanca to be travelled, their stock will be driven that way. It> was decided .to inform tho writers that the dram was in the Hutt Countv.

The'Rogistrar-Gcnoral of Land intimated that it has been decided that Mr Humfrey s claim to compensation could not bo recognised. Councillor Ward said that the Land J.ransfcr Office had over-stepped its rights, and it was to blame for tho whole transaction. The letter was received Tho Commissioner of Crown Lands acknowledge-! receipt of tho letter of July 26, with reference) to the Council taking stone from Section H, ftormandale, and intimated that the matter will be inquired into,' and the resnlt communicated to the Council at soon as possible. The engineer was instructed to report on the nature of the ston« to be obtained at the locality .The Waiwetu Cricket: Club-asked permission to proceed at once with the top-dressing of the two wickets, so that they may ba ready for play when the season opens in October, and stated that the club would be glad ir the Council could now see its way to lay water on to the ground, for use in the preparation of the wickets. The matter was referred to the Reserves Committee With power to act. .

llie Hutt River Board forwarded an authority under seal permitting the Council to take gravel, etc., from the river beach known Shinglo Bed.—Received. The x olice Department wrote regarding the damage to a lamp and wattle trees and reported that careful: inquiries had been made,' and the road in question patrolled ,on Sunday mornings and afternoons since, but so far, no information could be obtained as to who committed tho damage complained of.—Received.

Council Welch (of the Hutt County Council) waited on the Borough Council in reference to the formation of two chains of road in the Epuni "Hamlet. He asked for the views of tho Borough Council to place before the meeting of the Hutt County on the following day. .He asked the Borough to bear half the cost.

The chairman said the matter would be considered. ~

The Engineer reported as follows Main Road kerb and channel.—Tho work on the eastern sido is now complete. The channelling on the western side from the V.I.C. to Nai Nai was put in during the past fortnight—approximately three-quarters of a mile. Waterworks.—Two hundred , and thirty house connections have been made with the mains up to date. Melling Bridge. —The piers on'both sides of tho river are nearly completed and I hope to have the cables in position during the coming fortnight.—The report was adopted. Number Two Committee recommended that the lamplighter's (Mr. Doyle's) wages be. increased to £2 10s. per. week. That Mr; Murison be informed that'owing, to the insufficient return for the outlay that would be incurred in extending tho gas main to his property in Epuni Street, the work cannot be undertaken at present, should he however get a number of the residents in that locality to sign a'petition agreeing to take gas, tho Council will further consider the matter. That the price to be asked for the manual fire engine be £110, less a commission of 5 per- cent. • The report waa adopted.-,....,. .• ..

| ' PETONE BOPOUGH COUNCIL. Tho fortnightly meeting of 'the Petona Borough Council was held last night. There were present: The Mayor (Mr. Jv W. M'Ewan) and Councillors Cole, Short, Young, Lodder, Soutbgatp,. Castle, Colquhoun; Smith, and Dr. Harding. i. Correspondence was received as follows:—, From the llailway Department, stating that the agreement for the water supply for the railway workshops expired on August 23, and asking to have same renewed for further two years on the'same terms, viz., £15 10s. per month.—Councillor Lodder moved that the amount ho increased seeing that the workshop demand for water must have increased considerably.. The resolution wag carried. The Minister for Internal Affairs' wrote in answer to the two letters from Petona Borough Council with reference to 5 the member appointed by Government to the Fira Board being connected with an insurance company. Tho reply said tho Government was not prepared to make alteration now, hut in future appointment would noto tha Council's wishes.

The Borough' Solicitor, wrote enclosing a form of contract in connection with tho building permit to the Gear Company, and asking the words "gut scraping" to be struck out.— Tho matter was left m the hands of the solicitor, to settle; tho Mayor and Councillor Colo and tho Town Clerk- to sign'the permit.

The Mayor moved—"That under authority, conferred by tho Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, the Council resolves by way of special order to alter the course of Percy's Stream and turn same down Nelson Street culvert." The above will bo confirmed one mouth from date.

. Tho Minister for Labour sent a letter protesting against the condition laid down by the Petone Council, and wanting to know why tho Council wished to impose different conditions on Government builders from private' builders. , S6veral councillors considered .that 1 , the Council had been very lenient with the Government.

His Worship asked that the Clerk supply a return showing tho amount of rates unuor private'and Government ownership. The return was as follows: —Heretaunga .Settlement, total rates payable under private ownership: 1906-7,,£52 7s. 7d.'; 1907-8, £70 14s. Bd.: Total, £123 2s. 3d. ; Wilford Settlement, total paid by private owners: 1906-7, £298 14s. 4di; 1907-8, £333 6s. lid. Total, £G29 ,Is. 3d. Amount paid by Government for two years, nil; paid by Government tenants, 1907-8, £46 19s. Loss to borough, £705 4s. 6d. The Engineer reported that the work completed for the month comprised the metalling of Koro Koro Road, the clearing of sand from tho Esplanade, and tho metalling of tho crown of Jackson Street from Petone Avenue to tho railway station with river metal. A start had also been made to metal tho Hutt Road. The crossing had been made from Recent Street, and repairs had been dona to "various streets. The wharf approach was now being filled, up to the breastwork. Work in Nelson Street extension was in hand, and would be completed during the next fortnight. New buildings for July numbered eleven, of an estimated value of £2100. For the current year the total permits wero 45, and tho estimated valuation £14,073. Tho Engineer pointed out the difficulties in obtaining a quantity of rock suitable for road repairs, the quarry on Hutt Road being past service to the Council. Ho recommended that a quarry should bo established on the boundary of the Domain, and an area of land should immediately be acquired for tho purpose. Tho Engineer also recommended tho raising of roads to the footpath level, and £ave instances of places wlierj stagnant water accumulated. The >voik ifl connection with tho Nelson Street culvert extension was completed.

On Sunday afternoon Mrs. Lee gave an in tercsting address io the united schools prd tea chers, Mrs. Duff presiding. The ch:!<'rei listened with close attention, and at the elos< thanked Mrs. Lee for her address. On Sunday evening Mrs. Lee addressed the United Churcbos. The Rev. Mr. Russell presided, and the meeting commenced ith a hymn and prayer, and a solo by Mr. Bedda. Mrs. Lea was in excellent form, and the vast audience listened most attentively to the scenes described by Mrs. Lee, wlio was heartily ap. plauded for her apt illustrations. Mrs. Lea concluded with an earnest, appeal to the moderate drinkers to sigu the pledge.