A WHARF FOR PETONE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5598, 26 May 1905, Page 7

A WHARF FOR PETONE.

DEPUTATION TO THE HARBOUR , -■ BOARD. A FAVOURABLE’ HEARING. A Pot one deputation, headed by Mr G. T London, the Mayor> waited on the Harbour Board yesterday to urge the necessity of providing a railway wharf for Fetone. Before the deputation arrived the Engineer (Mr W. Ferguson) stated tnat he had been instructed six months ago to report on the question and prepare plans. A railway wharf was wanted, and he had prepared plans and estimates accordingly. Mr London, after apologising for the absence of Mr T. D. McDonald,’ Mayor of the Hutt, who fully sympathised with the movement, pointed out that in population and valuation Fetone and Hutt were equal to a Sixth of Wellington. The population was good and the value of land and improvements over two millions; yet no district in the colony having a sea frontage was so poorly served. A precious opportunity of preserving the old wharf structure had been lost. The business coming to Fetone and Hutt represented 13,000 tons of coal and two and a half million feet of timber in the Cr. The value of land and property increased by over JJIO.OOO last year, the populat-on had doubled in five years and ths material wealth in three years. He thought, therefore, that their demand for wharxage was a reasonable one. Councillor H. Findlay pointed out that "when six. thousand people got congregated together something was go.ing to happen." There were one thousand school children in the Hutt Valley who could not get an outing without being dragged over the railway. The chairman of the Board (Mr W. Cable) said the Board would like to know two things: First, if the Board provided a railway wharf, would the Council acquire the railway, which he understood was a private venture ? Second, would the borough dedicate say an acre of land adjacent to the wharf for sheds? The Board fully sympathised with the Council. In fact, it had prepared three sets of plans. Mr London said the Council was anxious that the railway should be acquired for public purposes, but boa not yet fully considered the question. He thought they had no power to dedicate the land as desired.

The chairman said they wanted some justification for their expenditure. Mr Beauchamp thought it most desirable that the Petone people should have a railway wharf. The matter was discussed in committee, and it was decided to consider the construction of a wharf provided the Borough Council saw its way to set aside an acre of land close to the wharf, and provided also it was quite satisfied that if the wharf was a railway wharf there would be access over,the Hutt Park railway.