HUTT AND PETONE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6491, 10 April 1908, Page 6

HUTT AND PETONE

(Ri out Our Resident Reporter.) THE RIVER BOARD.. The usual monthly meeting of th« Hutt River Board was hold last Thursday night. Present—Messrs W. G. Foster (chairman), R. Stevens, T. A. Peterkin, A. Peters, and Orton Stevens, Mr Moason (Board’s engineer), and Mr Bunny (Board’s solicitor) also attended.

The first business was the consideration ot tin resignation of the foreman of works, Mr E 0. Clayton, who had found it necessary to take tho step for private loasons. Tho .chairman and various members expressed groat regret at the prospect of losing Mr Clayton’s services. - Tile foreman of works reported i hat ti e recent fiesh in the river had caused no damage, but had improved the new cuts somewhat by deepening them. The defence works on the eastern'i-.ido of Gear I-'and had had considerable attention; tho existing iron piles h|vd lorn driven deeper and birch piles driven where tho water was deep and tho whole made up with packing. This point is situated whore the appreach to the pipe and traffic bridge will bo. A new drain had been dug from a culvert under the stop-bank cn the island, which will drain the water Irom tho insido of the new -bank into tho river. -The defence works at Jones’s camp bad boon overhauled. Much delay was occasioned, through the river being high, to f the work cn the entrance and. outlet of the new edits. It is recommended that moro birch piles bo procured. The stop banks required clearing of gorso and other vegetation. ANNUAL VISIT OF INSPECTION. The" chairman reported upon tho annual visit of inspection to tho works in the district by- members of the Board. The engineer was authorised to spend ,C(.Q on the removal of shingle in . tho channel at tho north end of Gear Island, to have thd diversion cut cleared out.- . The growing accumulation of shingle at various points in the river bod was-very marked, and it was apparent that the h-ssoes -of the -ohinglo beaches were not removing tho shiuglo to anything like the extent necessary 1 3 keep the channel well open, the accumulations' being a serious menace, especially so at the reach above Kingdon’s beach, near where the new bridge is to be erected by the Borough Council.

The Board also inspected that portion of the river that would ho included in the proposed extension of Ilia River Board district, and the oloi.'k was instructed to obtain the necessary information, with regard to the'owners and valuations of properties in the proposed now area in the engineer’s, plrins. This latter section of the report evoked much discussion. The villa: lotions mentioned were supplied' by *b.Q clerk, and showed the -total vahio ox the 1 property to ho'ir.cluded ini the proposed new area io be £13 1,590, It was considered that a tarthing; rata would hn a sufficient levy, if proposed works were completed within the engineer’s estimate, which- would/ involve the raising of a sum .if £1200., The , necessary works are ’jmng up pending a settleent ’ of this .question. Messrs T. A. Peterkin and Orton Stevens were appointed a Reputation to interview the (property /owners interested and ’ ascertain thevr views on the. subject. . /

■ Mr S. C. Barraud, manager- of the Hurt aud Pefcono branches of the Bank of New Zealand, bias been granted three months’’ leave of absence owing to ill-health. Mr r EC. R-. Lowry will ' act as local manager during Mr Barraud’s absence.

The Rov. B. P. R-pthwoll, tho new-ly-appointed superintendent of tho Hutt Methodist cirquit, .will arrive at Lower Hutt on Vfedncsday, and he entertained at e, welcome "social” on Good Friday evening. At tho monthly meeting of the Peteno branch of the Drivers’ Union oh Wednesday .the following resolution’was carrier]? unanimously:—"That the time is now .ripe for a direct labour representative to represent the - Hutt constituents in Parliament and -that this section of the Wellington Drivers’ Union suggests a conference of all progressive f bodies to further the same.” > . e- . About forty members of tho Hutt Valley Rifles, under Oapt. F. Boss, will take- part in the forthcoming groat Easter manoeuvres. At th/o quarterly- mooting, of- the Hutt -Methodist Circuit on Wednesday night a resolution was unanimously carried expressing regret at the compivlsory retirement owing to illhealth of the Rev. S. J. Garlick, and a m’/nute expressive of warm" appreciation of his labours in the interest of idle church, was recorded. Quarterly' congregational meetings to discuss affairs relating to the circuit and for social intercourse were recommended.

, Mr E. O. .Clayton, who has resigned his position, after two and a half years’ service, of foreman of works of the Mutt River Board, has accepted a similar position under tho Devonport Borough Council; EDa was chosen from thirty-six applicants. To. three successive meetings of the Hutt River Board it, has been th« cleric’s pleasure to report on the- conference twixt delegates from the Board and the Borough Council appointed td ' draw up a report upon-the question of widening of River Bank street. At last the conference has eventuated, {and the (report of' the delegates (Messrs Foster, O. and R. Stevens, representing the Board, and Councillore Russell, Judd and Baldwin, representing .the Council) was presented to last night’s meeting of the Board. The report recommended a certain line of action and evoked considerable discussion. Pending fts. consideration by the Council it was thought well by the meeting that .neither the report nor the, discussion ho made public. At a previous meeting a letter was read from the Board’s solicitors stating that they had completed the investigation of the title deeds in tho matter;.. and ' that hit Sladdon had made a sui-vey and-found that all the fences in that. street were encroaching on tho road to the extent of from three to nine links according to tho land that was conveyed to the Super intendent of the Province in’lß73.