Local and General News

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 3, 19 June 1946, Page 7

Local and General News

Labour and Mr. Lee. / The Labour Party, at its annual jonference, unanimously rejected unity with Mr. J. A. Loe's Democratic Party or the Communist Party. Fire at Hospital; The Lower Hutt Fire Brigade received five calls during the week. One was to the Hutt Hospital, where' there was an outbreak in an electric motor. Very little damage was done. ■ i ■ Political Party Conferences. The annual Dominion conference of the National Party will be held in Wellington on Thursday and Friday. The annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party opened on Monday morning and will last until to-morrow. Shopping and Industrial Area. The Mayor stated at the ,last meeting of the Lower Hutt City Council that no reply had yet been received from the Minister to the Council's representations regarding shopping and industrial sites in the new h< ■ :'ng areas. Saving of £4OO a year. A ;•;■ ving in the Lower Hutt City Coac'cil'i road watering costs of approximately £4OO per annum has been mcd< by the purchase of an additional motor truck, which will be made available for the watering of roads. Small Margin of Profit. '"Sixty-four units of electricity have to be made to make Id of profit," said Mr. J. W. Andrews at the annual meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board. "The Board is handling a tremendous turnover for a small margin of profit. I think the public should know that." Appeal to Rotarians. At the last meeting of the Hutt Rotary Club, Mr. J. E. F. Vogel, County Commissioner of the Hutt Valley and Bays Boy Scouts, made, an appeal for assistance in sending a contingent of Scouts to the world jamboree in France next year. He outlined the aims and objects of scouting, and one of the, company leaders who accompanied him recited the Scout oath. > New Zealand Patriotic Funds. At a meeting in Wellington last week the National Patriotic Fund Board decided to defer consideration of the question of amalgamation w.ili the Canteen Board till a conit xence had been held between reprt£,entativ«-.- of the Patriotic Fund L'-Jurd, the C fifteen Board, the Reiurned Se"..,tr" Association, and the Home Servicemen's Association. Milk Sent, to Christchurch. At the annual meeting 'of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board Mr. J. J. Maher, who is chairman of the Wellington Dairy Farmers' Co-operative Association, said: "I have just made arrangements with the Internal Marketing Board to send '•1000 gallons of milk to Christchurch." It is said that the shipments will continue as long as trie shortage in the south lasts. "Youth Sunday." In urgmg that "Vouth Sunday" (the last Sunday in. each month) should be revived by the organisations connected with the Youth Council formed recently in the Hutt Valley, Mr. J. E. F. Vogel stated that a "Youth Sunday" was observed in England after the Dunkirk evacuation, and the idea was referred to in the English press as having been copied from Lower Hutt. . ' , _ ; Fines for Traffic Offences. Fines totalling £63/10/- were imposed -on motorists during May following charges brought by the City Council traffic inspector. The cases included excessive speed, obstructing pedestrian crossings, failing to signal when stopping, overtaking without 300 ft. visibility, failing to give way to right, no warrant of fitness, overloadng motor vehicle, and failing to have heavy trade extension of license. ■;/' j Explanation from Crown Wanted. At the last meeting of the Lower Hutt City Council the Mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrews, said that the foundations of a building had been laid on Crown land at the. corner of Mitcheil Street and Oxford Terrace, and the City Council had received no advice regarding it. As the building was being erected .of. temporary materials in the brick area, the council's officers were very concerned. The Council should have been consulted before the building was started.

Proposed llairaud Street Extension. The Lower Hutt Methodist Tennis Club, advised the Lower Hutt City Council at its last meeting that it planned to renew the wire-netting surrounding its tennis courts, and requested to be advised as to when the ex/tension to Barraud Street is to be proceeded with, and as to whether the Council would make tennis courts available to the Church in another locality when the work is commenced. The Club was advised that there was little likelihood of interference in the near future and that in the event of it being required to vacate within the useful life of the netting a reasonable compensation, based on the then value' Of the-netting, would be paid, v

Maori Synod ( The Maori Synod, which ' sat in Lower Hutt for several days, concluded on Monday. Days of Nagging Over. "The days of nagging the public are over," says the London Passenger Transport Board in announcing a 'courtesy through service' campaign. It appeals to its drivers.to be more courteous to passengers. Complete Reticulation At the annual meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board Mr. J. Maher expressed gratification at the fact that the board was the first rural power board to reticulate isolated areas. "We are .leading the "way in the complete reticulation of our area," said Mr. Maher. j Most. Striking New Flower At the Royal Horticultural Society's exhibition in Westminster, London, last month, the most striking new flower, which gained a firstclass certificate, was the lilac named Bellicent, from R. C: Notcutt. Its salmon-pink blooms in large sprays were said to be very fragrant. Imprisonment for Theft ' For theft of a suit valued at £lO Taka Haupuka (24), labourer, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, with hard labour, in the Police Court at Lower Hutt. Edward Norman Connolly (35), pleaded guilty to two charges of theft at Patea and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Primary School Football The Lower Hutt Primary Schools' R.ugby Union has been granted permission to use five grounds at Strand Park and two at the Recreation Ground for competition fixtures on Friday afternoons. The City Council the application subject to supervision over the boys by a school teacher. Grateful Cricketers The Hutt District Cricket Club wrote to the Lower Hutt City Council recently expressing its thanks and appreciation to the Superintendent of Parks and Reserves, the Reserves Committee and the groundsman (Mr. Sellers) for their help and co-opera-tion during the season just concluded.

Repertory's Strong Membership The membership of the Wellington Repertory Theatre increased tor 1405 during the year. The accounts -showed a surplus of £939 (£1494 in 1945). The net cost of .the six productions during the year was £7Ol, against which was placed a net profit of £649. from "Peter Pan."

Interruptions by Opossums Opossums have caused a considerable number of interruptions to the power lines of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board during the year. At\ all transformers and air break switch structures opossum guards have been erected It is impossible to erect guards on all the Boacd's poles but the erection of the guards on the structures mentioned will, minimise the incidence of any further interruptions due to this cause.

Awaiting- Legal Clarification In his annual report to the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board the manager-secretary, Mr. I. R. Robinson, stated that the question of the Board placing its lines along the back of sections in the Government housing area at Taita had been discussed with the Housing Department, but pending a clarification of the legal position no decision had been made.

City Council and Power Board. "The Hutt City recently changed its method of rating from "uniinr proved value" to an "annual rental valuation" basis. Under the changed system the city claims that the Board's reticulation system within the boundaries of Hutt City is liable to rates. The Board through its legal advisors, has lodged an Objection on the grounds that the said property is not rateable," said the manager-engineer in his annual report to the Hutt Valley Electric Poewr Board. Hotel Licensees' Obligations. A magistrate, in presiding at the annual meeting of a Licensing Committee in the north, told hotel licensees that they were granted licenses on certain conditions, one Of which wa3 that they must supply reasonable meals to the travelling public at any hour of the day or night. "If you do not do that," he said, "we must get those who will." He added that it had been reported that some licensees were breaking the law by. refusing meals and 'accommodation to the public. Waste of Electric Power. "I have seen outside lights burning at all hours of the night," said Mr. A. Walker at the annual meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board. He had also noticed lights burning in an apparently empty building at ll' o'clock: in the morning. The \ general managerengineer said he would look into the matter. Later, Mr. J. W. An-, drews said that some of the waste of power might be caused by owners leaving their premises during a cutoff and forgetting to switch off the power.