CITY AND SUBURBAN

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 30, 30 October 1929, Page 13

CITY AND SUBURBAN

HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

Park Road, Miramar, is now in a particularly rough state, consequent upon its preparation for a bituminised surface.

The Principal (Mr. J. H. Howell), reported to the Technical College Board of Governors last night that the enrolment in the Technical High School up to October 18 were 855, as compared with 832 last year;' in the evening school 1744, as compared with 1632; and in the art school 351, as compared with 318, the net increase in the number of individual students being 168.

“It is not a money-making stunt,” said Mr. W. J. Look at the annual meeting of the Wellington Swimming Club last night, when the matter of adding new names to the list of vicepresidents was under consideration. The club retained its present six vicepresidents.

Recently the Plunket Society at Petone asked Petone Borough Council for a building site, and the matter was referred to the Works Committee. The committee has conferred with representatives of the society, and after discussing the position, it was agreed that the society submit a definite plan, when the committee will be in a position to fix upon a suitable area to be allocated for the purpose.

“We will see no more gold in our time,” remarked an ex-bank manager, Mr. H. Atchley, who arrived at Wellington by the Ruapehu from Southampton yesterday afternoon to spend a holiday in New Zealand. Mr. Atchley, who is on a world tour, recently retired from the position of manager of Barclay’s Bank at Highgate. “The Americans have got it all,” he added. “The people, too, have got used to bread and butter currency, and would not care to go back to carrying gold.”

The renewal of the traffic-guiding lines in various parts of the city and suburbs, and also in the Ngahauranga Gorge, has been completed. At the busiest intersections some lines are already showing signs of wear. The rustless steel studs at the juncture of Cable Street and Jervois Quay appear to be satisfactory, but the yellow rubber strips at Lambton Station do not seem to be as successful as the distinctive white line, and all pedestrians do not realise the object of them. At such a busy place as Lambton Station the prominent white lines would probably render better service from the public’s point of view.

A resident of Petone recently wrote to the local council complaining about the Hutt River Board rates charged in his street and in the Wilford Settlement generally. It was reported at last night’s meeting of the council that the matter since it was recently brought up had been given most careful consideration, but that as the rating area had been fixed by statute, the council had no power to give effect to the request that the matter of the River Board rates be gone into. A letter to this effect has been sent to the complainant.

The annual rifle meeting of the NewZealand Military Forces will take place at Trentham on Saturday. Firing will commence at 9.15 a.m. Series A is for territorials, series B for Vickers and Lewis guns, series C for senior cadets of 17 years and over, and series D for cadets under 17. The prize money will be distributed aS soon as possible after each event. Cadets of 17 and over will fire with .303 rifles, and those under 17 with .22 rifles.

The pipe bridge over the Hutt River again came under discussion at last night’s meeting of the Petone Borough Council. All the councillors were of the opinion that the bridge was unsafe for pedestrian traffic, and that unless something was done there would be a very serious accident one of these days. The Mayor (Mr. D. McKenzie) said that he had held a conference on the matter with the Mayors of Wellington itnd Eastbourne, a representative of the Hutt County Council, but without success. The council referred to were silent at the conference and would not express any opinion. It was decided to get in touch by personal interview and correspondence with various local bodies in the hope that something would yet be done to make the bridge safe.

The electric traffic signals were out of action for a short time yesterday morning at Courtenay Place, while men were renewing the contact points. As the signals have been working so successfully and uninterruptedly, motorists were somewhat at a loss when they found the signal lights not operating. Some of them failed to see the traffic officer in the centre of the square directing traffic, and pulled up. wondering what was the matter, occasionally holding up other traffic. The contact points were soon renewed, and everything was in working order again shortly after 10 o’clock.

A little gathering was held at the Wellington Bowling Club a day or two ago, among them Mr. M. O. V. Dimock, of Titahi Bay, and an old member of the club. He was recounting some of his experiences of 40 to 50 years ago, and recalled the trouble that arose over the toll gates in the Hutt Bond and Ngahauranga Gorge, in the mid’eighties. A committee, he said, had been formed with a view to getting rid of the toll gales, and the late Mr. George Waddington was chairman. The authorities were opposed to their removal, feeling ran high, and threats to forcibly remove them went round. The authorities, hearing that some attempt was likely to be made in that direction, put a policeman on duty at each gate. Their suspicions were wellfounded, for, so the story goes, a liberal supply of whisky was sent down for the butchers at Ngahauranga. and the raid on the gates was arranged to take place at night. The officer watching the Hutt Road gate was captured and tied to the railings at the side of the old Hutt railway, while the one in the gorge was secured and tied to a tree. The latter was a well-known officer of generous proportions, and when be had been “hogtied” one of the butchers called out to one of his pals. "Pump him. Bill.” Pumping was the method of forcing the blood out of beasts being slaughtered, the butchers rolling the bodies backwards and forward with their heavily-booted feet. The constable soon had enough of this, and cried quits, telling them to get on with their job. The gates were speedily demolished, and there was a big outcry. The committee determined to prevent the gates being restored, sought the advise of Sir Robert Stout, and acting upon that advice contested the legal proceedings, and won. And so the toll gates disappeared for ever -frnm fha Gnrvm and tba Hutt Hoad.

During the Labour Day week-end 3200 passengers were carried by the Eastbourne ferry steamers as against 3000 last year. About 1200 were carried by the bus service, this being about the same as last year’s figure.

Discharges were granted the following bankrupts in the Supreme Court yesterday:—C. J. Duffy, dairyman, of Wellington, and Fitzgerald Clark, res-taurant-keeper, of Wellington.

“Anyone who travels in motor-cars knows that the dangerous practice known as ‘cutting-in’ is far too .common,” said the Chief Justice (Hon. M. Myers) in the Supreme Court yesterday.

The Technical College Board of Governors has decided on the recommendation of the advisory committees (plastering and engineering) to furnish reports each term to employers regarding the attendance, diligence, and conduct of their ajiprentices who are at the college.

Concerning the proposed subdivision of police property at Petone . the Department has intimated that it would not proceed with the matter, in view of the Borough Council’s stipulation for an entrance 40ft. wide. The chairman of the Works Committee reported at last night’s meeting of the council that it recommended that the council agree to the original plan, which made provision for a 20ft. entrance. It was decided to agree to the recommendation on the condition that the site was exclusively used for police purposes.

While addressing the jury in a case in the Supreme Court yesterday, counsel for the defence was emphatic in his statement that the Court was a court of law. He was interrupted, however, by the Chief Justice (Hon. M. Myers), who said, “And a court of justice, I hope.”

Probably there have never been so many cars on the Hutt Road as there were between 5.15 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. on Monday, and thanks to the good order of most drivers an average speed of 25 miles per hour was maintained by the long procession between the racecourse and the city. The impatient driver is always evident, when there is congestion, and now and again there were furious rushes made by “speed hogs,” who wished to cut in ahead, but so continuous was the line of cars that on more than one occasion these drivers found themselves in difficulties. The only real blockage occurred at the Lambton Railway Station, where' a traffic officer was operating owing to the cross traffic to the station. Incidentally, Camp Road —the approach to the racecourse—was made hideous by a surface of coarse, loose gravel—the bete noir of every car-owner.

Grey concrete, especially when new and unadorned . architecturally, is rather depressing to the view. That is why on occasions relief is sought in elaborations in red pressed brick, and other toned trimmings. In the case of the new grandstands at Trentham racecourse the most beautiful and refreshing of all decorations is beginning to make itself manifest in the Virginia creeper, which is throwing its long, well-foliaged tentacles up every wall and pillar. Some of the growths are now fifteen feet from the ground, and such is the healthy condition of each plant that in a few years the whole of the back of the stands will be shrouded in green and gold. The one drawback to the racecourse grounds are the gravelled patches and paths, particularly the large space in front of the 10s. totalisator. This is merely rough gravel, very rough on the ladies’ shoes, and generates a lot of dust and grit at the slightest puff of wind. It having been found that the provision made for the storage of vegetables in the cafeteria at the Technical College is inadequate, the senior boys, under Mr. Rosser, are now completing an addition to the north end, which will give an outside vegetable store Sft. by lift., add another Bft. on to the verandah, and, with a porch, will provide a very desirable protection for the kitchen entrance from the northerly wind. As soon as this is completed the framework of the demonstration room will be begun, the concrete floor being already in. The chairman of the Reserves Committee reported at last night’s meeting of the Petone Borough Council that it had conferred with representatives of the Athletic Cycling Club, and had granted them permission to use the room under the grandstand, as was the case last year, provided that the cycling people work in with the other users. The club was also authorised to erect the removable fence under the supervision of the recreation ground caretaker. Referring to the site for the tennis courts, the report states: “The council is informed that there is a site for several tennis courts immediately north of the existing Pononga and St. Augustine courts. In this respect the existing ground occupied by the league does not permit of two fullsized football grounds, and this recommendation raises the point for the council’s consideration, whether the league, in occupying all this snorts area, is using the land to full advantage. as contemplated in the lease. The council decided to write to the league people informing them that as full advantage had not been made of the land a strip of 120 feet would be taken on the southern boundary for the purpose of being used for tennis courts.