LOWER HUTT AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 48, 25 August 1925, Page 11

LOWER HUTT AFFAIRS

MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting of' the • Lower Hutt Borough Council was held last evening. Present: Mr. W. T. Strar^ (Mayor) and Councillors A. M'Bain, W. G. Meldrum, E. Waldie, H. G. Teaglo, E. W. Hunt, L. T. Watkins, J. Mitchell, A. Grierson, and A. J. Hobbs. * The Public Works Department notified that portions of Valentine street.had been exempted from the provisions of Section 117 of the Public Works Act, and stated that other streets were receiving attention. The Minister of Internal Affairs submitted draft regulations dealing with matters affecting general control of motor vehicles. The' matter ivas referred to the Bylaws Committee. The Hutt County Council asked if the council would approve the .handing over to the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board of a small piece of the land purchased for cemetery purposes. The request was approved, on the motion of the Mayor. The chairman of the Estates Committee and the chairman of the Cemetery Board were appointed to fix the price to be charged the Power Board. The Lower Hutt Fire Brigade asked the council to make a permanent appointment of a caretaker at the fire brigade station at as early a date as possible, pointing out the amount of work entailed in keeping the plant in a satisfactory condition. The question was referred to the joint Reserves and Fire Brigade Committees. The Progress League suggested that it would be wise for the council to organise a regular time-table for buses running to Wellington. The league pointed to the danger of the buses speeding to compete with other buses. Councillors Watkins and Hunt said there was a great danger created by buses racing. The matter of the inquiring into the council's powers in regard to fixing a time-table was referred to the Bylaws Committee. On the motion of Councillor Watkins, it was de- '. eided to communicate with the bus pro- j p'rietors, drawing their attention to j overcrowding, and racing, and stating that the council would be compelled to deal with the matter if an improvement was not effected. The league drew attention 'to the need of public conveniences, and sugfested a site behind the Post Office. t was decided to reply that the council had a more suitable site under consideration. The league also reminded the council of the urgency of widening Heke street. Councillors Griereon and Hobbs also spoke of the urgency of the work. A reply will be sent that the work will be proceeded with as early as possible. An inquiry from the Waimarie Croquet Club as to when its grounds would be available for play was referred to the Reserves Committee. Councillors Waldie and Grierson were appointed to confer with the Lower Hutt "Band, at it« invitation, with regard to the band's finances. . . ' . Councillor Watkins was appointed, the council's representative on the Wellington Committee of the New Zealand and South Sea* Exhibition, and it was agreed to. forward the council's contribution of £50. Mr. W. J. M'llvride drew attention to the wandering stock in the neighbourhood of Knight's estate. On the motion of Councillor Hobbs, it was decided to compel owners of vacsuit sections to fence. Councillor Watkins said that he had had seveml complaints regarding the wandering stock nuisance, and asked if something drastio could not be done. On the motion of Councillor M'Bain, it was decided to prosecute in every case where stock was found wandering. An amendment by Councillor Grierson, seconded by Councillor Hobbs, that second offenders only be prosecuted, was lost. Mr. -J. H. Simpson drew attention to the bad state of the footpath and roadway in Copeland street. The complaint was referred to the Work* Committee. The_ Health Department advised the council' to prosecute the owner of premises who had allowed same to be occupied, after a case of infectious disease, without it being disinfected. The council decided to prosecute. On the recommendation of Inspector Collings, it was decided to take action against the owner of a building which wa»s in disrepair.. On the recommendation of the Drainage Committee, and on the suggestion of Messrs. •Vickerman tixA Lancaster, the tender of the General Machinery Co., Ltd., for motors for sewage pumping, for the sum of £482, wa"s accepted. The Mayor (Mr. W. T. Strand) outlined the steps that had been taken to acquire the land at the watershed of the Hutt River as already published in~ "The Post." _ Mr, Strand stated tiiat an offer had since been nude for th» rights to cut timber on the land in question, which would, if accepted, cover the whole of the coat of the freehold. Councillors heartily endorsed the action of the Mayor in .the matter, and a motion of approval was unanimously pawed. Councillor Hobbs said that he would like his protest 'against cutting any of the timben on the land purchased to be recorded. Councillor Meldrum asked th« Works Committee to take into consideration the tarring of a path in a portion of Tama street. The matter was referred to th« engineer for a report. On the recommendation of the Works Committee, it was decided to call for

tenders for permanently surfacing 353 chains of roadway, tenderers to submit their own specifications and provide guarantees to the satisfaction of the council, The Engineer, Mr. E. J, Barnes, reported that holes had developed badly in the'tarred portion 6f the Main road. These had been temporarily repaired, and when the weather was finer they would be repaired by the Hutt Rood Board with bitumen. The temporary repairs would be a charge against the Hutt Road Board. A bad wash-out on the Normandale road had been repaired with railway iron and old boiler tubes. The unmetalled portion of the Wainui road had gone right to pieces, and was in some.parts in a dangerous condition. In this connection the council decided to advise the City Council that it wouldbe held responsible!