Hutt River Board KING GEORGE THEATRE THE EXHIBITION

Hutt News, Volume 9, Issue 16, 25 September 1935, Page 3

Hutt River Board

KING GEORGE THEATRE

THE EXHIBITION

QOMPARATIVELY few people, even among those who stand to benefit most by its activities, give a thought to the work of the Hutt River Board. Were it not for this board, in times of flood, residents in the lower reaches of the river in the vicinity of Lower Hutt and parts of Pet-one would have to get about in boats. If the River Board did not do the work of protection some other public body would have to. The chief aim of the board is to prevent the Hutt River from overflowing its banks. Although the board's boundaries run from Silverstream in the Epuni riding of the Hutt County, through Lower Hutt and through part of Petonc to the sea, it is generally considered by those who have experienced the river in flood, that it would be better if the board's jurisdiction extended to the source in the Mungaroa Valley. One of the most important aspects of the board's work is the removal of sudden turns in the river, so changing the channel into one of easy curves. For this purpose the construction of groynes has been resorted to, and, having served their purpose, some of these are now a hundred yards from the river. Besides diverting the flow, the groynes have helped to keep the river more in defined channels, so that now its bed is noticeably deepening. EARLY HISTORY. In the light of present knowledge some of the old records of the board make interesting reading. The first meeting was held on March 12, 1879, and there were present Messrs S. R. Johnson, Peter Bruce, W. B. Buick and Thomas Mason (who was elected the first chairman). The next month the .board decided to levy a rate of 1/- in the £ on certain districts, and 3d in the £ on other districts, the collecting of the rates being left in the hands of the local bodies in whose boundaries the rateable properties were situated. To-day there about 4500 ratepayers (400 in Petone, 300 in Epuni riding, and the remainder in Lower Hutt). The general rate is 25-200 of a Id in the £ on the capital value, the total rates collected by the board itself (not the local bodies) amounting to about £4500, -i.iJ One of the most important sources of revenue to the board is royalty on shingle taken from the bed of the river. The amount varies according to building activities, the lowest being 1933-34, £487, and the highest 1930-31, £3427; for the last financial year the amount collected was £1063. -What the 1879 board members thought aboimf shingle is made plain by the following minute; "With regard to charging a royalty, on shingle, the chairman reported thai the committee had made enquiries from several contractors in Wellington and it was found that it would be unduly handicapping the Hutt shingle were the board to place a royalty upon it, and the committee was of the opinion that as much shingle as possible should be taken from the river. The committee would therefore recommend that the shingle beach within defined limits and under proper supervision be thrown open to the public." To-day that is all altered. Within the boundaries of the Hutt River Board no one—not even the owners of property on the river where there is shingle—is allowed to lake shingle in quantities without the permission of the board, As far as possible the shingle is to be taken from the bed of the river. Not until April 1885 was a clerk appointed to the board. He was Mr. W. Jones. The original board died of inanition and a newly constituted board was formed in 1899 after the disastrous flood of 1898, the members being: Messrs Fitzherbert, Foster, Riddiford, Sladden (father of the present Engineer) and Dr. Purdy. Mr. P. 11. Purser was the clerk at the munificent salary of £25 per year. At that time, too, Mr. E. P. Bunny was appointed the board's solicitor, a position he still holds. _ FLOOD PREVENTION." The flood of 1898 turned the attention of valley to the necessity for doing something to M*, rence, and on a statement by Mr, G. Laing iug the river his firm (Messrs Meason and Marciianf) was instructed "to survey the Ilutt River, for £75, within the board district and one mile beyond; a full report and plans to be prepared; a survey to include complete soundings at any beyond the mouth of the river as far as the deposit of shingle from the river is found; and to submit proposals for protective works in detail with estimates of cost of construction." A month later the surveyors were ordered to cease working, as the instructions were invalid, and the hope was expressed that they would see fit to tender for the work. They did so, and up to the time of his death in 1924 Mr. Meason designed all the groynes which have proved of inestimable benefit to residents in the valley within reach of the river. It will be of interest to know that the present engineer, Mr. H. Sladden, was engaged on the survey under the late Mr. Laing Meason. Unquestionably to-day the board's ratepayers are reaping the benefit of the wisdom and foresight of the earlier members both in the raising of loans and in prudent expenditure. The largest indebtedness of the board, the inscribed loan raised for the erection of the stop-banks, was originally £48,587. With the maturing of various amounts since 1931 the amount now outstanding is £22,806, and this amount will entirely disappear in 1945. The last loan raised by the Board was in 1920. In the matter of rates the board was able this year to give a reduction of about 20 per cent. 1o Ihe ralepayers. In this connection it is interesting to note that, for the past, leu years, apart from the special rates which are definitely necessary to pay interest on loans, the general rate imposed has been insufficient to cover maintenance and the routine works oi: the board. All other costs, administration, engineering, plr.ut renewal, rates, insurance and professional, etc., have not been a charge on the ratepayers, being met out of rents and royalties.

NEXT WEEK

October Ist - sth

PROGRESS OF THE BOROUGH

JfAVOURED to an unusual degree by Nature, the development of the Borough of Lower "Hutt as a residential centre of recent years has probably been more rapid than that of any other district in the Dominion. The degree to which climate and soil are adapted to horticulture is reflected in many beautiful and extensive public and private gardens for which the borough has become famous. The history of the borough dates back to April, 1891, when the district became a municipality with a population of 1329. The growth of the new municipal unit was steady if not spectacular till 1925, when the population had risen to 6500. It is in the subsequent decade that development of the district has been most marked, the population in that period having risen from 6500 to no less than 15,000. A commensurate increase in the valuation of the borough is also found. The capital value, which in 1923 was £1,500,000, now stands at over £5,000,000; while in the same period the unimproved value has risen from £750,000 to £1,750,000. BUILDING ACTIVITY. The issue of building permits indicates that pronounced building activity dated from the year 1919-20, in which year the value of buildings erected showed a marked upward trend from £8000 to £29,000. In the succeeding years the new impetus was not only maintained but gained added momentum. Thus in the year 1926-27 the total was no less than £443,000, and two years later, in 1929-30, the peak in building activity was reached with a total value of £475,425. The following three years saw the effect of the general economic depression, ppd the value of building permits declined successively to £288,000, and £53,000, the year 1932-33 marking {hp lowest level of £36,000. Since then a gradual improvement has been evident. The value of ladings in the year }933-34 showed an advance of £20,000 to a total pf £82,000, and tye monthly figures for the current year indicate tfiat the earlier slump' in buildiug operations is definitely a tying of tfre past-. BOROUGH SERVICES. Commensurate with the rapid growth of population has been the extension of public services and facilities, and the district la well provided with bitumen roads, bus transport, electricity, gas, water and sewerage services. Shopping facilities have kept well abreast of the development of the residential district, and well-equipped, modern shops and stores cater very efficiently for the domestic requirements of the community. The borough of Lower Hutt covers an area of 3706 acres, with a population of 15,000 and some 3700 dwellings. Of a total of approximately 50 miles of roads, some 15 miles are permanently surfaced. All roads to the east of High Street have been widened to the full width, with the exception of small sections at the eastern end of Waterloo Road and the western end of Laing's Road. These sections are to receive attention as opportunity offers. To ensure development on sound lines the whole of the borough, has been zoned in accordance with approved townplanning practice. Clear definition of industrial, shopping and residential zones and control of the types of buildings that may

be erected are calculated to prevent unhealthy and unsightly conditions which lack of foresight and planned development has permitted to develop in many other towns and cities. That there is still ample room for expansion without undue congestion is shown by the fact that the present average density ol population is only about four to the acre, The borough rates, having regard to the services provided, are very moderate compared with the Dominion average, the total rates, exclusive of water rates, being the approximate equivalent of 7d in the £ unimproved value. The total public debt of the borough stands at approximately £300,000. SCOPE FOR INDUSTRIES. ; For the establishment of industries Lower Hutt, in common with the Hutt Valley generally, offers particularly favourable conditions. Level land with unlimited supplies of pure artesian water in close proximity to rail and shipping, represents a combination of advantages unsurpassed in any other part of the Dominion. ' ; Electricity and gas services are available throughout the district, the supplies being administered by the Hutt Valley Electric-power Board and the Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Lighting Board respectively. , SPORT AND RECREATION. : In few other parts of the Dominion will there be found facilities for the enjoyment of sport and games to compare with those of Lower Hutt. The foresight of earlier councils, combined with the generosity of citizens, has provided the borough with numerous picturesque and attractive recreation and sports grounds. Amongst these are seven main areas having an aggregate area of 35 acres, as well as several smaller public reserves. For football, cricket, and athletics the Recreation Ground provides one of the finest areas in the Dominion. The pavilion is fully equipped with every convenience for spectators and players. . _■ , . , Tennis finds many devotees in the district which is plentifully supplied with courts, both club and privately owned. Bowlers and croquet players also are well catered for, and both games find many supporters in the district. For the golf enthusiast few other districts offer equal faoili- ' ties. Three golf clubs are established in the district, as well as others within easy distance. Within the borough boundaries also is the Hutt Park trotting ground of 80 acres. It is under the jurisdiction of a special body on which the Borough Council is represented. A further notable asset amongst municipal recreational facilities is found in the Riddiford Baths—provided through the generosity of members of the Riddiford family. The swimming pool is 100 ft long by 451't wide. The building is equipped with every modern convenience for bathers, and provides accommodation for 2000, spectators. A well-stocked Public Library caters for the requirements of the reading public at a small annual subscription. I

There is no need to buy outside your own district. Local Traders can supply your requirements at competitive prices. Give them the opportunity. Get "Lower Hutt Conscious"

iTi s mainly by means of exhibitions that the public is brj ight to a realisation of the progress that is steadily being made in all branches of industry in the Dominion. The Hutt Valley has long been the centre of manufacturing industries in the Wellington district, and by reason of the many advantage* it has to offer, this locality will always be pre-eminent amongst; the industrial centres of the Dominion. Eaeh year. the. range of industries has increased. Year \fs yeai,'. with the development of the residential arya of Luvvv Hutt, trading facilities of the borough have expanded to meet the growing requirements. The welfare of the one section is largely dependant upon the other. Only by co-operation between the two will the best interests of the community be served and development facilitated. If in demonstrating in a practical manner the progress the Hutt Valley has made as an industrial centre, the Exhibition also tends to emphasise the pre-eminent call for trading locally in the joint interests of residents and shopkeepers, it will serve a doubly useful purpose. Local shopkeepers who have displayed initiativecourage to support this effort sire fa sjafl4 goods and their dervice. They deseWc'tye support of tIW residents of the The Hutt Valley Industrial Exhibitiou is the first venture of the kind to be attempted in the district, and the enthusiastic response made by manufacturers and other commercial interests suggests it may beeoiiie an annual fixture. The idea origitiinated with the Lower Hutt Chamber of Commerce, a subsidiary of which—the Hutt Valley Exhibition Society, ising and controlling tye function. The King George been taken for the week commencing Monday, SfpitwWr' 30. The stalls and exhibits will Ipe the Monday and the Tuesday mornmg. The

Exhibition will be open to the public at 2.30 p.m. 011 Tuesday, October 1, the official opening function being performed by the Hun. J- Cobbe, Minister of Justice and late Minister of Industries and Commerce,at 7.45 p.m. that evening. 111 addition to the Minister, speakers at the opening function will be Messrs Waiter Nash, M.P., J. W. Andrews (Mayor), T. Waugh (patron) and P. N. Player (president). In addition to a wide range of industrial exhibits, several special features will be introduced. These include exhibits by the Model Engineering Society, and exhibitions of work done by pupils of the Petone Memorial Technical College. A programme of attractive items has been arranged for each afternoon and evening. These will include cooking demonstrations, mannequin parades, dancing exhibitions instruction in physical culture, and orchestral items.. An osiyii>l| souvenir booklet is being issued in the course i,)f a, few days, giving a complete schedule of events and a eat* iype o( the exhibits. SPOTTING COMPETITION, With the co-operation of shopkwpvrs in High Street, arrangements W being made t# inaugurate a "spotting comjpetitijOU,''' duifing Exhibition "Week. Each shopkeeper participating will show iy hit* window some article foreign to his line of Uade, A to tlfte value of £1 is offered by the Exhibition Society to the person first lodging with the secretary a complete list of 4 spotted" articles. There will also a second prke to the Yahfte of 12/6 and a third prize of 7/6. Details of the "Spotting and a list of the shop taking part, will be auuouneed iu the Official Souvenir Catalogue. # ,