LOWER HUTT BOROUGH V COUNCIL.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 21, 16 October 1930, Page 7

LOWER HUTT BOROUGH V COUNCIL.

j The regular meeting of the Lower , Huitt Borough, Council was hold on ! Monday evening. Thero were present . the Mayor (Sir. Alex. Roberts), and Councillors A. Mcßain, W. G. Meldruim, D. S. Patrick, A. E. v Carver, F. Cam>pbell, J. Mitchell, A. ■'Gricrson, and A. J. Hoblbs. • .Before taking1 the business of the meeting, the- Mayor made feeling reference to tho death of Mrs. P. Robertson, wife of the Mayor of Upper Huitft, and moved a motion of sympathy, all councillors standing. It was reported that Or. Grierson had been elected to represent the* local authorities on the Boardof Managers of the Pefcone ; Technical School. Advice was received from the Wellington City Council that the Wellington City and Suburban Highways Board had decided to take ovci;. the approaches to the new Hii'tt bridge and the extensions of Higth. Street recently paved, and hand back to the council the a>p- _ proaches to the old Hutt bridge and also , that part:'of Marsden Street lying between Railway Avenue and the western approachto the old'bridge,. Morrinsvillo Borough Council wrote asking the council to' support the suggestion that when a valuation is made it should stand for a fixed period and that no right of appeal should be allowed./. '-. :, - : .■■:':■: :../', ;Vv •'.. , V • The suggestion did ' riot receive the support of eoiaaeillors, and on the suggestion of Hhe Mayor it was decided to ask that the matter be considered at the. Municipal Conference. BY-LAWS COMMITTEE. Remits for Conference. The Comanilttee reported that it had given this matter consideration and suggested 'that- remits in connection with the following matters be forwarded for consideration at the. next Municipal Conference:—; "That the Motor Vehicles 'Act and the Regulations thereunder be amended in such, a way that the owner of a ear shall be responsible for the action of any driver thereof. In explanation it should be stated that in. one or two eases recently the Borough Officers have been unalble to ascertain who was the. actual driyet of' a 'giyen car ok a certain 'date, the owner, in one instance, ' stating that several members of the family were licensed drivers and it was i impossible for him to say twiio was the 'actual driver of the car on the date in. "question. Instances such as outlined your Committee is of" the opinion that the responsibility for any action thait l might he necessary should Test on the owner of the car.' '■ ; "An amendment to the Town Planing Act to provide for the supervision by the Town, Planting Board of internal arrangements of houses as well as external appearance. This matter arises out of a recent appeal to the Town banning Board wSiielt was lost toy Council >in which the Board took up the attitude that it was not concerned with the internal axrangements of the premises but merely with the external. The Committee reported $hat it wag impressed with the by-law recently passed in Ohirisibehurch requiring the rear mudguard on all cycles to b© 'painted white, and it suggested thaifc the co-operation of the Petone Borough Council be sought with a view to both boroughs passing a similar by-law. The report was adopted. ITENANOE AND ESTATES COMMITTEE. On th recammendation of the eonimitoeeit was decided to make a grant ;of £25 to the funds for the cancer campaign. : ',. ;i.'/';,; . ■" ' ■"'. ...'■: i ■■ ■■ Council agreed to the sealing of an agreement for the letting of the corner shop in. Feist's Buildings. . PARKS AND BATHS COMMDPTTEE. Additional Reserves. It itras reported that arrangements are being made for a reserve at the coTner of W&ites Lrin« and Hawkins Street adjacent to the Anglican Church property to be vested in the Council, and also a rectangular reserve at the junction of Hardy and Collingiwood streets and Cambridge Terrace, opposite the Waterloo Station. . Baths Matters. The committee reported the baths will open for the season on the 18th inst, and recommended that the same charges and time-rtftible as f onm^rly adhered be adapted.

The matter of arranging a timetable for the schools for the season was left in the- liands of the Town Clerk to call the schoolmasters together as has been done in previous seasons. Cr. Mcßain asked what action had been taken in regard to the raising of the temperature of the baths. The matter had been enquired into last year but he had been unable to follow thei question in the latter stages ou account of his illness. The Mayor said thait nothing had been done as it would, mean the raising of a loan. > Or. Patrick: -"There was no guarantee." ■'•'■ Cr. Mcßain: V*n-What. direction?.''. The Mayor: "In efficiency." . It was decided to supply Cr. Mcßain with a report on the master. WORKS COMMITTEE. Taking Over Road. Messrs Seatoh, Si-addon and P'avitt, 'asked that the Council's certificate of completion bo attached to the plan of the Fairiield Estate, such certificate to cover that portion of the road running oast and west which lies in the borough. The committee'recommended the council to authorise the sealing of this certificate sulbjeet to satisfactory arrangements being hvad.O rogarcling the fcomplction of the -footpaths, and also the completion of the road at its junction wiiit the Waiwetu, road.1 Plumbing at Pumping Stations. The Borough" Engineer submitted quotations for plumbing work at the . four pumping stations'which are in course of erection, and recommended the acceptance of Mr. Stalker's tender. ENGINEERS EEPOBT., T'lie Engineer reported as follows:— ■Footpaths.—-A. start -was mado during' the month, on formation and paving of .some 60 chains of footpath on the Hall ! Jones Estate. The above length of footpath has,, been grubbed and a forma tion course 2ft consolidated, of broiwn rock, laid and rolled. Wet weather lias delayed the paving of these paths ibut a start has now been made on laying a course of chips in. readiness for penetrating /With emulsified bitumen. Some/ t&rce chains of. footpaths at Massey Avenue, adjacent to rock gardens, have been paved with eolfix. :©tbrmw€ter Drainage.—-The usual at-, tention was given to all storm seiwers and water channels during, the month. . A flooded area in Brunswick Street, caused by Mouat's property, which is not set back, -was relieved by laying a pipe from the eastern end of above propnty to carry stormtwater to existing channel at western boundary of property. _ ;.; Building Permits wcto 'issued as follows:—Dwellings in wood 19, value £19,295; dwelling in brick or concrete 5, value £5215; shops 1, value £450; alterations and additions 3, £303; additions to other buildings 1, value £1150; 'garages 6, value £270; sheds^and oiuitbuildings 7, value £324; petrol pumps 1,? value £1200. Total value £28,307. Traffic: Traffic census was carried out at various points in the borough, from 6 a.m on 26/9/30 to 6 a.m 27/9/30. Traffic patrol was carried out.on several evenings during the month and traffic control daily. Fifty 'eases <of iby-law infringement were heard in tie Magistrate 's Court and convictions obtained in each instance. ' Melling, Bridge.—This "bridge was overhauled during the month and is now •in fair condition again. Defective decking was. pulled up and Telaid on approaches and the bride itself, Decay-; ed posits and rails were replaced and two transomes strengthened on eastern approach. The stiffening truss received a thorough overhauling, loose''bolts tightened and tension rods straightened throughout. Special attention was paid jto t&e joints of top member of stiffen- [ ing -trusses and it was found that by strengthening the existing box plate joints with long straps considerable ' rigidity was Detained. The ranger reported that two head of stock had been impounded for (the i month ending 30th September. Cr. Patrick asked if all borough inspectors when on duty were obliged to wear uniform. He had noticed them on several occasions not wearing even a uniform cap and he did not think it was right. In reply to a question from Cr. Meldrum tthe Mayor said that unemployment "was. not decreasing. The work had still to "be rationed. They were employing about 30 or 40 at a time by

giving them three weeks on and three weeks off. So far they had found work for abou^lOO men. They could not spend more than (the loan schedule provided for. - >" Cr. Campbell asked if the engineer was satisfied that the 'borough inspectors were not at fault in a reeent motor cycle ease which came ibef.ore t&e court. The engineer upheld the action of the inspectors.