PETONE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1909, Page 4

PETONE.

Last evening's meeting of the Petone Borough Council was attended by the Mayor (Mr.J. W. M'Ewan) and Councillors Short, Harding, Southgate, Colquhoun, Piper, Young, List, Jones, and Ti'ueman. The Public Trustee wrote enquiring whether the council was prepared to submit to arbitration the matter of fixing a price for the proposed high school site. The council resolved to offer the owners of the la-nd £350 for the half acre required, and not to refer the matter to arbitration. The Department of Labour requested the council to verily the report of the Inspector of Factories upon the names o. the bona fide grocers attached to the two respective petition^ recently circulated in respect to the closing hours of grocers' shops The matter was left in the hands of the clerk. The Mayor reported thai, us matters stood at the present, the promoters oi the six o'clock closing movement would gain their end by a majority of two signatures. Permission was granted to (he Petone ' Chess Club to use the spare room in the municipal buildings twice weekly during the winter months. The Mayor and Councillors Short and Southgate were appointed representatives on the Fire Board for the year 1909-10. The resignation of ex-Councillor J. G. Castle as one of the council's representatives on the Technical School Board, \wib referred back to him for further coi sideration. One case of scarlet fever was notified by Dr. Harding. In connection with the approaching election of a member oi the Land Board, the council decided to allot its \ote in favour of the return of Mr. Bould, oi Johnsoaville.

A requisition was received from the Hutt Park Committee that the council should contribute its share (about one half) towards the payment of a liability — Messrs. Stafford and Treadwell's bill of costs — recently attached to that body by the Supreme Court. The committee, it was pointed out, had exhausted every means of reducing the account, and had contested its liability, but without avail. Eastbourne Borough had paid some £4 odd, and Petone's share was £36 8s 3d. One or two councillors expressed regret that the judgment in connection with the account had not been further disputed, and, after discussion, the council decided that the matter be allowed to stand over for further consideration. It was decided that the Library and j Charitable Aid Committees be constituted as follow : — Library, the Mayor and Councillors Piper, Harding, Young, and List; Charitable Aid, Councillors Harding and Piper. Upon the initiative of the Mayor, it (( v as decided to request the borough engineer to report upon a proposal to import all coal required by the gasworks direct to the wharf, and also that the Harbour Board be asked to report upon the question of laying down a light line of rails on the wharf with all reasonable despatch. On the motion of Councillor Short, it was also decided that the Harbour Board be urged to table a report, as previously promised, on the proposal to reclaim the Petone foreshore. For the future, it was resolved that all complaints received by the borough officers should be submitted to the council table.