THE HUTT VALLEY.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 7 August 1905, Page 5

THE HUTT VALLEY.

A QUESTION OP RATES AND PROGRESS. A -well-attended public meeting of rat* payers and residents concerned in the more immediate progress of the Munga» roa Riding (which includes Upper Hutt,, -Wallaceville, Trentham, and SHverstream) was held in the Trentham Hotel on Saturday evening. The Chairman and convener oi the meeting (Mr. J. W. Williams) incited those present to give free expression oi opinion in the matter of approaching thl Hutfc County Council at its next meeting and urging upon that body the necessity of expending a more equitable share of county rates upon the improvement oi Mungaroa Riding. The annual income of the Hutb County Council approximated to somewhere near the sum of £14,000, a considerable portion 1 of this amount being derived in the Mungaroa Riding, the ratable value of which ip set down at £360,000.' No blame was attachable to present or past representatives of this riding, but, allowing for ai maximum expenditure of 5 per cent., which, more than covers office expenditure and salary, a great deal more should be asked for and expended in the districts mentioned than had ever been formerly devoted to its improvement and upkeep. The chief items calling for immediate attention were those of water-tables for draining the surface water along the t roads between the railway bridge at Silverstream and the Upper Hutt. Hhep, there was ft. question of paramount invportance, that of protecting parts of thfi county road . proved to have been a, menace to vehicular traffic. These could be 'fenced or filled in as expediency war> ranted. Whilst attending to these mab> ters the Council would probably consideil the question of a footway being con» tinued along the road past the Catholin Church to the Church of England ai Trentham — even to Silveretream — and then again along the road to the Wailaceville railway station. Also the removal of telephone poles from thence t« the Laboratory, at present a- source oi\ great danger. These were matters re< quiring special attention and urgent re* presentation. Several persons present supported thy proposals submitted to the meeting, on<i resident declaring the Upper Hutt to Imi the oldest and least progressive eettle. ment in New Zealand ; but he looked t« the time when the residents would "wakfl up with a. start" and shake themselves' into the attitude of animate beings interested in the welfare of themselves antl the district they lived in. After considerable discussion, the mab> ters already mentioned were put in th«l form of separate motions and carried unanimously. To give zest to their ap peal, the meeting decided that the Chain man, Messrs. Cudby, T. Burrell, G. WiV kins, T. Edwards, W. Brown, M'Govenij Haybittle, Cottei, Geange, Guard, Men« zie, and others wait upon the Council and urge the requirements of the' dis. tMct, the deputation to be introduced, by Councillor Whiteman as representatiTe of Mungaroa Riding. The meeting resolv-ed, further, thai those present would attend from time tv time to discuss such matters as were deemed essential in furtliering thei interests of the localities mentioned, tho Chairman reading to them a telegram from Mr. Wilford purporting that "tho Government intends inspecting land at Wallaceville with view to considering advisability cutting up fifty acres fat workmen's homes." The matter of Wailaceville siding, footway to Silverstrcam station, and railway fares was also con-> sidercd, the usual vote or thanks to oh<( chair terminating tun mul notable meebi ing yet held in the district/ "Lambs are appearing in every direct* tion," says Uie Waipukurau correspon... dent of the Hawkes Bay Herald ; but unfortunately, owing to so much wet and cold, l<he percentages ' of mortalities i* high. A meeting of ratepayers of the LjWiS Bay district is to be held in the State School this evening. The object of the meeting is to consider tho action of the City Council in deviating from the terms of the Greater Wellington agreement regarding tramway extensions and-rating, .