HUTT AND PETONE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 534, 15 June 1909, Page 3

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS

. (FROM OUIt BPECIIL REPORrEE-i' .... - : .-—■ ♦- ~- '■ ■■ ■ ". ."■•. , PETONE FIRE BOARD. : ; The first annual nieeting oE the Petono Pire Board was' held yesterday afternoon, there being present:—Tho Mayor (Mr. 1. W. M'Ewaii) in tne chair, and Messrs. R. Mothcs, B. Vt. Short, C. A. Ewen, .1. J: J,. Jlollard, Charles Pearco, and E. J. Southgate. Tho Christchurch Fire iloard suggested that action be taken with a view to securing free telephone servioe to fire boards. It was decided to support the Christchurch Board in the matter. ... ' '."' •' :' V > .Mr. Mallard made reference to a recent fire, and asked'if arrangements wcro made»to turn on the full pressure. The superintendent replied that this had not been.done, as it was not considered necessary. If was-decided that this course must'be adopted ill all cases, in •future. •, ' ; .." . . ' ~ A resolution was carried, on,the motion of. Mr.- Short, .congratulating Fireman Godber, of the Pctone Brigade, in securing two first prizes in theory and practice in connection with the recent fire brigade competitions at Auckland. In presenting his first annual report,' Superintendent Lopper stated that during tho year there hod been 13 alarms. These covered seven fires and five .falso alarms. • One was a tost alarm by Inspector Hugo. The' firo at. Sir. Aspin's premises was the most serious, property, to the "value of ,£3OO being destroyed. As a gale from the 6outh was blowing, the ■ brigade had an anxious time saving tho property opposite. Tho fire at Mr. Hyde's riremises was . kept well ■" in hand and was confined to the living rooms, but the stock-in the shop suffered from smoke : and water. . The fires at Messrs. Golder's, Cook's) and Eadford's were also reported upon. The nev; ,electric' alarm system (added the report) is now in complete working order,!and will, mean a great saving of time to tho brigade .'in getting to fires. Had tho system.been in operation when Golder's firo ocenrred; mubh.of that property wonld. have been saved. Tho plant at, present, is all in good order, but'ss they had. Ho use for tho manual 1 engine, tho,report suggests that it be overhauled : and disposed of. Tho roll numbered two officers, seventeen men, and two I messengers, tho average attendance being two officers and thirteen men. The discipline of tho inen had' been 'of a high' order, and ho was pleased:with their work. ■; It was decided to take no action in leferenco to the manual engine. ' ; The estimates, for the year coming were as 1 follow:--Balance, June SO, 1909, JESS; superintendent's salary, deputy-superin-tendent, J2O;. Eeoretnry,. .C2s;'Petone Borough Council payments, XC4 4s. 6d.; boots, .£2l; w4ges, £50; :hoso (1000ft.),;£35;i two. hydrants, J&; eight uniforms, '£20; two branches .and nozzles,. £3; accident insurance, .£10; fire insurance, £5 ; sundries, £20; contingencies, . £40; first, instalment 'for, new station, £250'; hose reel and wagon, £75; hire of horse, £25; gas supply, £W; total, £915 is. lid. ' -v ' ' The estimates were adopted, . ; ■, '.'• ". ..' V .'' : —"' '.'. ■ : ■ '.'■' ■. PETONE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE. •' At last Petono is to have a.telephone exchange.. Agitation on this mattor_ has been vigorous and persistent, and local residents will be gratified at their ultimate success., The following letter -was . received from'_ Mr. J. K. Logan, Superintendent of Electrio Lines,, at last night's meeting; of the borough .council. , .—;. . : lii : reply to your'letter of May 19,. applying for a telephono exchange at Petone, I havo the honour: to inform you. that au-/ • thority.has been : given for.the opening of, ; an eichange'at Petone.with a minimum of '..i six,subscribers.' -The regulation rates will be charged for connections rind for bureau communications.,, .' . ' "'.■!■ ; ■ '

..The rates referred.to by Mr. Logan are as , follow:—Entrance fee, £1; charge, per annum, £5. ••', The. £b rate is for business places situ-: ated riot. further 'than half a inilo from the exchange,'or private houses.not exceeding a" mile.' For, every additional quarter of a mile or. fraction .of:, a quarter, 10s.) additional is chargeable. ..Where.a'new exchange is..opened,' 'the subscribers-connected 'thcnirithjat'.tho-.date. of, opening will bo required to hold their: con-i nections' for three years. ■ The hours aro as, follow:—1' to 50 subscribers, 9 a.m.: to" 5 p.m.; 51 to 100, Bto 8;.101 to 125, 8 a.m. to.lo p.m.; 126 to 150,: 8 a.m. to midnight; over 150, continuous, service.'-...-' .... .-. .' It is considered that the new exchange should quickly.: havo a dozen ; or twenty subscribers.. /PETONK 'WHiIRI , : AND EECLAMATION. At last night's meeting of .the.Petoneßorough Council, a'reply,:to d pro'vious ■ letter' was received from the. : secretary of tho Harbour Board in reference to;, the Petone Wharf and reclamation. ;:-The: council was informed that, with .regaid to the, wharf and ~ the suggested light line of railway 'thereon, ■ a -report was received from the engineer, estimating the cost of .installing the line at .£9BOO, but" no- action was taken as tlio report had not been considered :by members. - The . engineer had ;■ been requested to .furnish.a report on the scheme for reclaiming.part.of the.Potone foreshore as. early as possible. J -..- V-... '....'• .-• ■■ The;'Miiyor 6aid that the matter .wcrald come before the Harbour Board at its-next meetingj' -and. he hoped to get the board to agree' to allow the expenditure for the line of railway. Councillor Short:.: The foreshore is lileo the people, of Petone—a-bit soft. ~. (Laughter.) ■■■..•' ■!: '.-The Mayor: I-cannot agree with . Councillor Short's'statement, that; the people, of Petone: are soft.- They're not. - They have a , 'great "deal , of persistency. ■ ".■ . ' \ /■-.'. 'The : 'clerk;-- Eternal persistency! . (More laughter;). .; .- . .; ' ■ . . It was , decided; on the motion of Councillor Piper, to , acknowledge.the letter, and urge the board to use every endeavour to place the wharf in the/condition originally contemplated. v :'■:'.■:-' ... '■" JOTTINGS. . : ' ■■..': ■. At yesterday's meeting Petone Fire Board,',tho Mayor (Sir. J.AV. JlTSwan) was reelected chairman.-on the: motion, of Mr. C. A.' Ewen, seconded ;ljy,Mr. B.,Mothes. The mover made complimentary reference to the work done by Kr. M'Ewan during the past twelve months; ... •'. . '-'-. " ", . ■ ; .The -new gas: agreement between', the Hutt. and 'Potone Borough Councils has been confirmed by the latter body. Councillor Piper asked the Mayor,if the price, 4s. and 4s. 3d., per 1000 ft., would return a profit, or was it given in a panic ?.. The Mayor replied that the price was fair, and wonld yield the council a reasonable profit. Jlad this asreoment not been entered linto, ho questioned , if the Petone people would got their gas at the same rate as at.present. . •. '• .. ■ ..■•'.■; '"'■'•• . .'-..■ . Dr. M'Arthur,,S.M., John Cndby, J.P.i.presided at.a.sitting.of the Lower Hutt Court yesterday; and heard an adjourned .case, in which George I'lutey claimed MO from William: and Annie Kerr, for a stack of hay left on .defendant's property by plaintiff. ■ After ■hearing t evidence, the. magistrate gave judgment for plaintiff for £Vi 10s. and costs (i' 6 ■135.). ; •■■■'. .::.- ■ \:- .;■ : . -.; > : llr. D. Spilman, •of Wniwetn, : has presented a number of bulbs' to the. Pelone Borough Gonncil for planting at the reservoir. The .council: decided to forward the donor a letter of thanks. . ' : . A .social .was hold at St. David's Schoolroom, Petone, last evening, in connection with the Young Men's Bible Class,-when Mr. H. Robinson's cup' for running was presented! ■ The Kev. A. Thomson, who presided, expressed his pleasure at handing the .cup to the successful .competitor, Mr. Andrew Bold, who secured first honours in .the 100 yds., first in the ; 220 yds., and was one of a tie for first place in the 4%d5., running from scratch on each occasion. The evening was spent pleasantly in songs and games. . :.. :

"International Praternity" will be disonswd at the weekly meeting of the Petono 1.0. G.T. oaiWednesday evening./ : ',-•■ . ••-. 'The P«tono Navals , have asked the borongh council for a sum; of money to assist in .the upkeep of. tho cutter.- Tho : council, last evening.decided to deal withtho matter When the estimates came up for consideration. ■ An unpleasant experience. befel the Eev. A) Thomson, : ,pf St. David's, Petone, on Sunday. An alteration in, the Sunday train time-table has been niade recently, and,',, as a .result, the .minister; who had arranged to take the service at Khandallah in the morning, missed the train. Not to bo beaten, however, he repaired to a trusty friend, tho possessor of a motor-car. The friend proved a,good samnritan, and off they went.. With difficulty they .'got to Johnsonville, but thoro they fonhd that tlie roads wero, too/bad for thocar to proceed-'the-extra , - 'two and a half miles.. With 20 minutes,to go before tho service; commenced,, Mr. ■ Thomson set olf valiantly to wade throiigh the mud on foot. .Breathless and nnidstaincd, he arrived at tho church, and found that the Service had begun, but 'his preparations wero quickly made,, and, to .all intents and -purposes,..ho wns.there in timo. . - ■',■ '■'. ' ;. At the Petono Borough Council meeting Inst evening,.a letter was received from Mr. W.-.G. Talbot, secretary of the Eiigby Union, regarding tho conditions.'that teams, not playing Pe r tone at Petone in the first round, , should play thore in tho second round, and statr.ng that this condition had not been overlooked. Tho union ;undnrstood that, with the exception of a semi-final or final, this rule should be followed, as in the last two seasons. The question of passes hail now been satisfactorily arranged, and they thanked the council for agreeing to. their ■ suggestion. The letter woe re;ceived, . . .