LOWER HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 16, 11 September 1930, Page 7

LOWER HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The regular ineeting of, the Lower Hutt Borough Council was . held on Monday evening. Thcre_ weTe present f<he .Mayor (Sit. Alex., Roberts), and jCrs/'A. ■■Mcßaui, D. S. Patrick, A. E. Carver,.' F Campbell, JR. Boyd, J. Mitchell and A. Grierson. A; letter was received from Sir. Thos. Wilford acknowledging on behalf of Lady Wilford and himself the Couii J cil'3 cabled congratulations on the conferring of a. Knighthood on him. The Wellington City Council wrote .srtatingv that the prdeT made by the Magistrate regarding the distribution of heavy traffic fees terminated on the 31st May this; year, and as one of the Local Bodies concerned is not satisfied with tthe present distribution a conference is to be held to consider- whether the matter will be argued further or taken before ■ a magistrate, and asking for this council to send a representative thereto. The Mayor consented to attend as the Council's representa.tive. ' ,■_. ■■.. ...'. ~•: V V: '■'_■-:■-:,. •..■■. The Petone Borough. Council wrote conveying its resolution carried1 at its last meeting regarding amalgamation as follows: "That this Cpuneil considers the time inopportune to go further into the matter of amalgamation with the Lower Butt Borough. Cotmcil as no arguments have been brought forward that would enable the Petone Council to -recommend the ratepayers to vote on this vital issue." The letter was received. . A letter was received from the Hutt County Council asking for support at a conference to be held for the purpose of deciding on. the erection of a bridge from Paramata to Plimmerton. Cr. Mteßiain pointed out that the improvements which had recently been effected on the Western Hutt Road had shortened the distance between the Butt 'Valley and Porirua HarbouT by 11 miles. The Mayor remarked that one reason for the request was that- the i Hutt County expected to get a contribution from the various local bodies, but he thought the Hutt Valley was a very long way from a bridge across Porirua j Harbour, but the County may expect a contribution us they had contributed to the Buifct bridge. • Or. Campbell: The Butt bridge gave access to part of tihe Hutt county. •The Mayor agreed to attend the conference. At a recent meeting of the Council the application of Mrs. T. M. Slade 'to erect a "two-roomed house in Belmont Avenue was refused on the grounds that the house did not conform to the \fljquiorements of the borough by-laws. Mrs. Slade lodged an appeal with the^ Town Planning Board whose decision was conveyed to the Borough Council. | The decision of the Board to reverse tihe Council's ruling was keenly, criticised by councillors and at Or. Campbell's suggestion it will form the subject .of j a remit to the N.Z. Municipal Obrifer--1 ence next March. | The Mayor: "This is our first case before the B,oard, and we have gone -down on it." -'.-.•-. ( Or. Patrick: "It is very disappointing. It is a retrograde step and I feel [ very ; sore about it." He thought it I was useless for the by-laws committee to function if they were to be subject to this sort of thing. The Mayor: "I am sorry the Board has come to such a decision as it shows

we have no control over building in tie borough." The borough engineer, Mr. A. G. Bush, who was present when Mr. Bunny appeared before the Town Planning Board on behalf of the Council, gave an outline of the proceedings. "I stressed the faettir of the effect on the health of the family living in two rooms wowld have, We were informed

j that we could not discuss the question from the thealth point of view, as there were sufficient powers entrusted to the ■borough under the Health Act to deal with *that point. When I said this class of building would tend to create a slum area, I was attacked for using the word slum and accused of being a snob. It was also-suggested that LoweT Hutt must be some/thing -'of an exclusive place to live in.. I said also ■that the type of building asked for | offended the aesthetic sense; that it was merely a shack, and because of it j the amenities of tiie neighbourhood would be destroyed. The members of the board had seen the building, and were evidently quite satisfied it did not destroy the aesthetic sense and was quite a desirable building." pr. Patrick suggested that the engineer should be instructed to draft a (by-law to. try to prevent that class of building;.being erected.^ "If the Town Planning Board will not help us, "he said, "we should make more stringent ■by-laws.'"' " * "A letter should be sent to the Town Planning Board," said Cr. Campbell, "accepting its decision and putting on / I record the council's protest and saying j the decision does not 'help. The board ! does not support us to got a reasonable class of building in the borough." The engineer was instructed to draft a by-law in terms suggested by Cr. Patrick. FIRE PREVENTION COMMITTEE: j The Fire Brigade reported that the Brigade had boon called out to three small fires during the month. All appliances are in good working order including street alarms and house bells. Fireman Simeon has resigned from the Brigade and Mr. F. C. Booth has been admitted as a nieniber subject to™ the council's approval. Mr. Booth ds an experienced fireman with 18 years' service and was- superintendent at Levin. Your committee thas to recommend that Mr. Booth's appointment be confirmed. Approved. OBSTRUCTION OF AN OFFICER; Yoivr committee Ira^i before it a report giving particulars of obstruction of a traffic officer in the carrying out of his duties. The circumstances are that one- of the uniformed scouts of the Automobile Club having ascertained that our traffic men were on duty on a recent Sunday warned all passing members of his Association by giving them the slow down signal. Our offi cci's were informed of what was going on. One inspector was taken, in a ear and followed the Scout for some . considerable distance and saw him repeatedly signal two ears. Your committee regrets that an officer of the. dob should act in suetb. a manner only on those oeasions when our inspetors are on duty and the Automobile Club has been advised that the committee would be glad of its co-ope-ration in tMs matter if it would, so cause its employees to control traffic at all times and not only when our inspectors are on duty. Or. Mcßain regretted the. action of an officer of the Automobile Qlxtb in acting in such, a manner. The Mayor said that he had had an . interview with tihe secretary of the AsI sociation who said the action of the I oftileer in question did not meet with his approval. The .Association appreciated very highly the steps that were being taken in this borough to control traffic and an assurance had been 'given that the offience would not be repeated. The Upper Hutt Borough Co-uoowjil wrote asking tie Council to support its application to the Wellington City and Suburban Highways Board for the services of a mounted traffic patrol officer as far as Upper Hutt. The application was supported. .

In reference to an application by MrsJones.for permission to occupy a shop which is not in the prescribed shopping area, your committee has again reviewed the position and has to recommend that permission to occupy during tlue pleasure of the Council; be granted.

The Town Clerk reported having had an interview with representatives of tihe Headmasters' Association regarding the handing over of the juvenile section of the Municipal, Library. Tour committee has now to recommend that the liberary be handed over on the Ist October, and a prorate refund made to subscribers for Ahe unexpired portion of their suibsprip^tion. • Approved.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineers TepoTtied as follows:— Road work.

| Scarifying.—The following streets have been scarified, re-shaped, blinded where necessary and rolled: Cambridge and Oxford Terrace, Leighton Avenue, Whites Line Bamp, (Waikare, Hardy, and Cressy Stoeets, West Hutt, Te Mome, Birdwood, Bauehop and Malon© roads. . Grading.—Loose nietal ihas been graded in from shoulders on the following roads: Waterloo, Seaview and Wainai roads. Further fine metal was spread, on Randwick road and Penrose street, whilst Norton Park Avenue and a portion of Waiwetu road were patched with line brown rock. Sewerage. Randwick* Road Septic Tank.— The heavy weather during the past few weeks has, on several occasions, caused backing up in the lifting station and the benzine engine running the Gin. ,pump has had to be requisitioned *or a number of days on end, working 24 hours per day! * ■•• *' *'* Alicetown Septic Tank.—-Froiu some I inexplicable cause a large stone passed | down the sewers and jammed in the main pump at t&e lifting station, causing the fuses to blow on thie power pole, throwing the plant out of action until the stone was removed, otherwise the plant has worked most satisfactory. Building Permits. Building permits were issued as fol-lows:-—Dwellings in wood, 29, value £27,644; dwellings in brick and .eonerote, 4, value £6345; additions and alterations, 4, value £815; garages 7, £358 additions to other buildings 1, value £100; sheds and outbuildings 1, value £3. Total 46 permits, value £35 ; 265. For the corresponding month, last year 73 permits wiere issued to a value of £48,151. Traffic ~ Traffic patrol was carried out on several evenings during the month and traffic, control daily. Thirty, cases of infringement of the traffic by-laws were heard in the Magistrate's Couiit; also tknee eases of building by-law infringements. Convictions were obtained in ea&h. instan'ee. The Health Report was considered to be very satisfactory for this time of the year, only three eases of infeetiious disease being reported.