HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 330, 17 October 1908, Page 7

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

WUTT PARK COMMITTEE. / A " SPORTS " TRAIN. A, meeting of tho Hutt Park Committee Was hold at tho Petono Borough Council Chambers on Thursday evening, Councillor Eussoll occupying tho chair. There wero also present:—Tho Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan),- and Councillors Baldwin, Hodgins, Southgato, and Colquhoun. ' Tho question of tho surrender of tho Hutt Crolf Chub's leaso of the park camo up for consideration, and after considerable discussion it was resolved to forego tho claim for back rent' for seven months from January 1 to, Ju,ly 31,. tho club to hand over to tho treasurer of . tho committee all receipts for grazing upon tho park. Thq committeo will thus agree to accept the surrender of tho lease, thus practically settling tho differences that.have existed between tho two bodies. -It was decided to. invito applications for tho/position of- caretaker from November 1, Mr.'Adanis's terin being up. A. letter'.was read from the City Council, referred to the' committee by tho Petono Borough Counoi'l, asking that tho city bo allowed. to share in tho management of the Park.; 'During.tlie discussion, it was made clear that, tho committeo were in no way opposed to/fjhe city having a share in tho management of tho pjirk on terms similar to those enjoyed by I'otcmo and Lower Hutt. The committee would welcome any assistance that the city could offer' towards improving the (park in .the interests of Wellington' athletic ■clubs." Mr/ M'Ewan suggested that the Government'might reasonably consider putting on a special sports train oh Saturday afternoons at a .cWgo ,of . sixpence a .head. This would be a reduction to half the present cost,' but he thought that choaper fares would enablo the Wellington sports bodies to take greater advantage oL the facilities, offered by the park: for. playing cricket, football, hockey, tennis, -etc. He thought the Government could afford to do this, and said that it would pay them well. Tho want of a railway or a tramway from Petono would be a great drawback as the nark is a mile and. threequarters from the Petone Railway Station, if tho Tramway Board, when set up, succeeds 'in giving effect to a tramway scheme, the'services would'connect with tho railway at. Petono and carry passengers .direct to the park over the bridge proposed to be erected by the city in conjunction with tho other local bodies. After further discussion it was decided to take no action in the matter at present. A' letter, was received . from tho Town Clerk, Eastbourne, stating that tho Borough Council was only willing to contribute to the funds-of tho committee on an unimproved value basis. ■ This was strongly opposed, as it would mean that Eastbourne would only pay £2 to £10 as against £20 each by the Hutt and Petoho Councils. Moreover, a precedent would be established. It was decided to reply declining the proposal, , THE MAIL TRAIN. Petono suffers a good deal of inconvenience from the fact that the northward-bound mail train does not stop at all until it reaches tower. Hutt. , ■ , Speaking on the subject to a Dominion representative, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan (the Mayor- of Petone) remarked that the time had come when a change should bo made. Petone peoplo had to travel to Lower Hutt by air earlier'strain and wait, there. This was a very awkward arrangement, and, especially in view of having the running timo reduced by four or five minutes owing to the duplication, ho thought that the: time saved, or at'least part.;sf*'it profitably, in a stop at Petbiie, frorn'mlifcli-'place, in proportion fd'-'its uso was made-'of the.railway "tnan'ift *an/ l 'i)lacro between Wellington and Napier. This point would ba conceded when it was remembered how many-left by tho workers' trains. On inanv ; defeasibh's; -'ho; concludcd, representations/had -been made on tho matter, but up to tho present nothing-satisfactory to Potone had resulted. PETONE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of tho Petono School Committed .was held last' night, Mr. D. M'Kenzie being in tho chair. There were also present :—-Messrs.' W. Hill, M'Dougall, Cairns,v C. Brocklebank, M.arsden, J. W. List'(secretary), and the Rev. A. Thomson. A-request from Mr. Mothes,. Registrar of Electors, for theiiise of tho scliool on polling day-was. granted.-''.' , The question of tho hour of closing' the school gates was brought up by somo friction that had arisen between,, tho custodian and some of the pupils who played tennis up to 7 p.m.; It was decided that tho custodian take.- his instructions from the headmaster. Mr. Brocklebank referred to the presence of school children in Jackson Street at noon, °nd ho suggested that thoy bo released from school at fiy-D minutes to twelve. The secretary. remarked that it was a wonder that more accidents did not.happen. The suggestion was adopted. . BAND CONCERT. The Petono Citizens' Brass* Band gave a concert last night in aid of "funds to enable the band to compote at tho Hastings-Band Contest. There was a largo audience, who. found the items submitted very enjoyable, a»d the applauso was unstinted. A great number of' tickets wero sold, and the contest funds benefited by a largo sum. Items woro rendered by tho following :—Miss Bennett, Mesdames Koir and Ronaldson, Messrs. Cromn, Searlo, Allen, C. S. Mahonoy, Walling Shardlow, Kane, S. Holmes, and Dolling. Mr. W. H. Rennio was successful as accompanist, and- the thanks of those presont aro duo to the secretary (Mr. S. Trade). A-special:meeting of the Petono Borough Council, will bo held on Monday night to coneider the bajancc-sheot and a letter received from- tho Wellington city solicitor in referP'P B an d traffic bridge across the Hutt River. It is hoped that a satisfactory, settlement of tho dispute between the Petono and Hutt Borough Councils will bo arrived at.

The Petoiio.l'iro Board meets on Tuesday, when a good deal of.business will be trans-acted.,,-Tenders have -to-' be dealt with for nniforms.for tho.men, and a proposal as to securing -a.':service of electrical tiro alarms trill come up. , The inspector (Superintendent Lepper) will present his inaugural report,which should make an interesting budget. Up to tho end of last-week the Gear Meat Company's men- wera kept very busy, but things aro fairly slack at present. Tho reason is that there aro no sheep in the Market, but they will bo down in about a ninths', time, and then tho works will be kept going jn full swing. i' The; death occurred yesterday' of Mr. Tk#«as Whiting, ail old resident of Potone. He leaves a wife and two children. The' General Presbyterian Assembly has appointed a day for the welfare of youth, and the Potone Presbyterian Church will observe it next Sunday by three .special services. The chbir will sing special hymns and anthem's.''

The Petono Tennis Club will open its courts Itr the season at three o'clock this aftorfloon. The, public will be allowed to bo pre«»nt, and afternoon tea will be served. Tho rowing season will also be opened this afternoon. , .. 1

The united firo' brigade's competitions, which were commenced on Wednesday on the Petone Recreation Ground, will be concluded this afternoon..

The statutory public meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough ratepayers, in connection with holding a poll on the gas question, will be .held on Friday next..

A social, in comicetion with the Loyal Orange Lodge will ho held at the Town Hall, Lower Hutt, on Friday, November G. The arrangements are in the capablo hands of the secretary (Mr. E. Prior).