HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 543, 25 June 1909, Page 3

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(THOU ODE SPECIAL REPOBTBtt.) VALEDICTORY. A large and representative, gathering oE Petono citizens assembled ,at Palmer's Empire Holel, Petoiw, last. evening todo honour to Senior Constablo Cox, who has recently been transferred to Johnsonville. The chair--was occupied by Dr. Rosa. - The usual loyal toast having hcen hononred, Mr. W. J. Cracroft Wilson proposed the health of the police force. He was pleased to note .that a Koyal Commission'was'set; up bnt, as far .as Petone was concerned; he knew that they coald stand all inquiry. (Hear, hear.) Without doubt, they had almost a perfect police force in the town. He frequently met the : police as a legal man, and he always received fair treatment. -Messrs. A. Coles and T. W. Caverhill, J.P.'s, responded. \ In proposing "Our Gnest," the chairman said that tho people of Petono parted with Mr. Cox with extreme regret. He had much pleasure in handing their guest an illuminated, address and a case of pipes. (Applause.) > Tributes to, Mr. Cox's scrvioes to' the community were also paid by Mr. E. Mothes and other -speakers' r In reply, Sir. Cox said: "I appreciate the address you have presented,me with, and I thank you for it. Doing police duty in Petone was always a pleasure to me.. The citizens were lawabiding and the Petone Justices, of the Peace .have sufficient qualifications to be. Stipendiary Magistrates. They always did their duty fearlessly, and tho professional gentlemen at the Bar wer always courteous, so that altogether to my mind, there is no place like Petone, and no people like the Petone people. Nothing could give ,me greater pleasure than metting you gentlemen' here to-night, and when I retire to private life I shall come back again to live amongst you.". ,■ • Mr. Wilfojd replied to the toast of Parliament, and, in doing so, dealt with the defence question. He hoped that the. Defence Conference would at least agree on a unification of •the efforts of the outlying dominions. Taken generally, the question of defenoe was ono all party differences should be sunk.' • During the evening songs and other items were. contributed by Dr. E. Buckeridge and, Messrs. T. M. Wilford, E. Firth, W. J. Cracroft Wilson,: and others.- . ':' COMPULSORY TRAINING. Last evening, at the Town Hall, Lower Hutt, a fair number of citizens assembled t# hear addresses on compulsory military training. The speakers were Messrs. P.' C. Freeth, A-. R. Atkinson, and Captain Ross (Hntt Valley Rifles). Mr. E. P. Bunny presided. Captain Ross fed off by remarking that, in the minds of some persons, the movement was being engineered to a certain extent by officers in the volunteer forces. This, he explained, was. incorrect. Officers, is a whole, were taking no r;ominent part in the movement. It was quite true, however, that individual officers had spoken at various public meetings, but'then they wore familiar with the subject, and so were qualified to speak. He concluded his remarksi' by , emphasising that tho best, way to avoid .war was to be prepared' for it. In tho course of his. address Mr. Frectli stated that, in consequence iof a . visit ,to various foreign countries, he had become converted to the idea that, in order to defend the country, it -would be necessary to properly defend it. by calling on its manhood to undergo some form of training.. :Mr. Atkinson next took the platform. He deprecated the introduction by a certain section of tho - general public of a large number of side issues,' such as taxation,' which could only confuso the. question. A speaker who rose in opposition contended that tho volunteer system should be given a further trial. Nothing 'was .worse than'compulsion, and one-volunteer was better than twenty ; pressed men; : Let the volunteer system be reorganised; that would be. sufficient. (Hear; .hear.) ; In the past, it had been injured by politically-appointed officers. v Captain Samuol deniedthat offioere were politically! appointed; they, were elected by the men.. ' . - ■ - ' . ;' ' The- motion in favour of .military ;, training :was carried by 26 votes, to :24. ;

;...:'.. -;\. jottings:' ; ■ ■ ; ".-■■'■ ' "TFnder the, Stars and Stripes" was tho subject of a lecture, delivered by Mr. H. N. Holmes, seoretary of the Wellington Y.M.C.A., at the' Oddfellows' Hall, Petone, last night, before, a large audience. : .'■'>'':;'.;' , : ■ The Hntt Borough Council takes exception to'a clanse in the agreement botween the Pctone Council and itsolf on the .gas question. It refersi : to, the claiiso contracting the Petono body out. of. all in tho eventofiits failure.to supply the gas as agreed ' upon. ■■ The matter will come pp at Monday's meeting-of the Hutt Council., '■'"' ' '■' - ■'■ ' ' '- The Mayor of Lower Hutt (Mr. E. P. Bunny) has received • the reports , ot Messrs. Meason and Marchant—the engineers consulted with reference to the recent administration of the Lower Hutt engineering department. The reports'will be dealt with at a special meeting on Monday week. Mr. Gandar, recently manager of the Belleruo Hotel, leaves for Sydney to-day. .. . \