UPPER HUTT AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 96, 20 October 1936, Page 7

UPPER HUTT AFFAIRS

COUNCIL CRITICISED

RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION

FORMED

.A.,public' meeting, attended by about' forty people, was' held in the Druids' Hall, Upper Hutt, last evening to consider the loan proposals which the Mayor (Mr. A.. J. McCurdyX will place before the meeting of the Upper Hutt Borough Council this evening. Mr. W. Thomas was in the chair, and Mr. A. T. W. Jackson: was convener of the meeting and principal speaker. Various subjects were placed before the meeting, but were not-very keenly discussed by the majority of those present. Most of the speakers criticised the council.

Mr. Jackson' expressed the opinion, that a ratepayers' association should be formed. It would have the effect of kerbing and giving" the council a lead, he said. The proposal received unanimous support, and the following committee was set up:—President, Mr. A.' T. W. Jackson; secretary, Mr. W. McArley; committee, Messrs. A. Greenwood, W. Robinson,. T. Scrimshaw, and Barr. A motion was carried to the effect that the purchase of Maidstorie Park was not in the best interests of the ratepayers. A second motion was moved that the loan for kerbing and channelling was not advisable.

A speaker said that the borough was ten years behind and was a backblock area. "Do you think we should, continue to have these cow tracks • and switchback . railways?" asked another speaker. The point of view was put forward that an engineer should be engaged, either permanently, pr in. a consulting capacity, to report 'on' such matters. Very little interest was taken in this subject. ■ Only one or two voted whea the motion was put to the meeting. • Concerning the' water ■ problem, Councillor F. P. Keys said that two proposals were at present before the council. He personally proposed to continue on a scheme similar to that of pumping from the racecourse. The I Wellington , Racing,. Club ~ had been generous and 'allowed the1 council to :pump from the racecourse well, but after- this year the -club" would want all the water for its own use. The council proposed to install an up-to-date pumping plant and pump direct iinto the eight-inch main. The council was at present negotiating with the Defence Department for the pumping [of water on one of its sites.'.. There 'was plenty of water .underground, as in the lower part of the Hutt Valley. Under this scheme the. council~could, for an ■ expenditure of "from ;£6OO to £800, get a flow of 72,000 gallons an hour. He would not support a scheme for storage, reservoirs, as proposed by, the Mayor. '"' ' ' '■,'./■; ~';■„ Other speakers pointed out that the present reservoir . was not . adequate for the borough's needs and there was very little" use in putting m extra mains^from the reservpir, ~ -