Hutt River Board

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 41, 23 March 1938, Page 5

Hutt River Board

FINANCIAL POSITION la spite of a targe reduction in rates, the Hutt River Board -receipts for tho .past .eleven months are only about £300 less , than for the twelve months ended March 31, 1937, and are approaching £1000 in excess of the estimates. In 1936-37 the receipts wore £0852, while for the past eleven months they were £6549. The estimate for the whole year is £5750. The great increase is in royalties, which were estimated to produce £1400, .hut for-the eleven months actually reached £2200. The expenditure for the same eleven months was £6761, -the estimate for the twelve months being £6875. Last year the expenditure was £6097. THE MONTHLY MEETING.' Tho monthly meeting of the Ilutt River Board was held last Wednesday afternoon. It was decided to take no action in regard to the purchase of a -weed-cut-ting machine for the Waiwhetu 'Stream on the ground that .the conditions were not at all similar to those in tho Avon in Christchurch where a machine was reported to be giving good service. An application for permission to erect a dwelling and boat-building plant on Gear Island was rejected as regards the house. Further particulars are required in regard to the plant. The secretary reported that the foreman had made an excellent job of the conversion of a scow into a pile-driving punt. 1 The engineer, Mr. H. Sladdcn, reported that with the exception of a moderate flood on {February 27, the river had been low and channel" conditions were unchanged. The conditions at Seagers and the Taita Gorge were satisfactory. Boulders removed by the Railway Department had improved the channel. Willow protection had grown well and there was little likelihood of a repetition of 'the troulbie of a few years -ago. T.he weir at Pages and Routleys, constructed last April, had been .fully effective and it was expected that winter and .spring floods would complete the development of the new channel. At Bent ley's a cut about two chains long had been made to assist the right bank. A small clit adjacent to the board's area at Pitc-aithley's would be made to assist in rectifying the tendency for a set on to Harris's. In the board's area at Dickie's the removal of boulders to assist the channel was (being carried out and the stone spurs in the left bank channel had been extended. The willows were being well established. In the Waiwhetu Stream willow cutting had been done and weed -clearing was about to "be put. in han.d. The secretary, Mr. A. J. Gearing, reported that the Judge of the Native Land Court had exempted certain native land from the payment of rates on the ground that as the'land was not liable to be flooded it was not liable for rates. It could not be aTgued that because land was not actually subject to flooding it did not derive benefit from, the work of the (board. The board's solicitor, Mr. E. P. Bunny, said -the contention of the Court was absurd, and the chairman, Mr. J. Mitchell, state\l that land in Lower Hutt would not be worth a "dump" except for the work done by the board. The chaiiman urged the board to appeal against the judgment on the ground that a principle was involved. Mt. F. J. Jones considered, however, that the amount involved was so small that an appeal was not worth while and on 1r.." motion no action was taken.