HUTT AND PETONE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6494, 14 April 1908, Page 6

HUTT AND PETONE.

MEETINGS OF LOCAL BODIES. (Prom Our Resident Reporter.) At tho meeting of the Petone Borough Council last evening there wore present: —The Mayor (Mr J. W. McEwan), and Councillors Coles, Harding, Smith, Southgate, Castle, and UoJquhoun. A deputation from the Korokoro school committee requested that sanitary arrangements for the school be undertaken by the Council. —The matter was referred to a committee.

The Petone Ladies' Hockey Club wrote, asking for the use of tho recreation ground on Saturday afternoons on tho same terms as last year.—Permission grunted. _ A case of diphtheria in Victoria street was reported. _ „ , The Council’s contribution to the Wellington and Wairarapa Charitable Aid Board for the ensuing year was reported to be .£147 2s.

The Tramways Committee's recommendation that each of the two engineers engaged in preparing the plane of tho scheme under consideration be voted a bonus of £2O was adopted. Councillor Coles, as Proxy for Councillor Short, moved that the Mayors honorarium be increased to £75. —The motion was carried. . The engineer reported that during the month it was proposed to repair and regrade footpaths so that tarring could be done earlier in the season than usual. Moran’s creek had been cleared, and all open ditches along the stop-bank attended to. Thirteen building permits had been issued during the month. Tho estimated value of the proposed buildings was £3035. It was proposed to allow Percy’s crock to still flow into the river until a drain is laid from the gasworks to the river or connecting with the eastern drainage. . , . , . The engineer was instructed to prepare plans for tho extension of Nelson street sewer. THE FINANCES. The annual balance-sheet indicates a healthy state of affairs. The count showed a debit balance of W® lOd. from which had to be deducted the following amounts Purchase o, technical school site <£soß, purchase * land .£3lO (for Nelson street extension,, purchase fire brigade section £213, ad vance paTmc.nt on account of wharf (new loan) £378, recreation Riwnd expenditure, advance payments, £9B; total, £I3OB. There was shown an increase of £l6 11s Id upon the balance of last year. The gas account showed that, after providing for purchase of plant and for renewals, the credit balance had been increased by Tho waterworks maintenance account. after providing for erection of a caretaker’s cottage, costing £3ll, and the purchase of section 5 (8. cores), Mmngaraki (which accounted for £633) showed a credit balance of £59. Taking the balance-sheet as a whole, stated the Mayor. the Council had every reason to bo gratified with the results disclosed, also upon the -fact that practically all rates had been collected. / . . , The following are among the principal items on tho balance-sheet. The amounts in parentheses are those for the previous year:— GENERAL ACCOUNT.

Receipts—Bates .£5280 (.£4514). Government subsidy £428 (£427), hocuses £250 (£251), rents £4OO (£167), building permits ,£llß (.£109), Recreation Ground, .£247 (.£268). • . , Expenditure—Salaries .£634 (£646), advertising and stationery '£ cleaning .£45 (-£2O), insurances £35 (-£4O), gas -£53 (£l7), ambulance shed £6;Maintenance and repairs—vv ages £1204. freight and cartage £4oo, labour and material £383, metal £lO/, fodder £l2B, Wellington and W'airarapa _ Charitable Aid Board £IBO (£139), Wellington Hospital Board £657 (£602). fire brigade £490, charitable aid disbursements £322, of which £3l 16s was in rations (£356), street lighting £350 (£3bo;, maintenance Hutt road £135. library £lO3, recreation ground £548 (including refund of gate taking's £55 and erection of baths £9B 16s). Sanitary Account. Receipts— Rates £1034 (£573), fees £ll-■ (£102), transferred from district tuna account £461 (£497). Expenditure £1614 (including wages £1136). , . Gasworks Account.

Receipts—Goa sales —",213 (.21639), coke sales £512 (£331), tar sales .£65 (£133). tar sales to Council £l7l (£112), sales gas fittings £471 (£303): total reoeints £7542 (£8451). , Expenditure—Wages £1377 (£1291), freight and cartage £552 (£375), ecU £1434 (£1208). street lighting £331 (£279), plant and material £903 (£725), management £363 (£204). The’ expenditure under maintenance and repairs was ,£2346. The actual net expenditure was £2096—£16 below the estimate. . Details of the expenditure on the streets of the borough show that £4O had been spent on Cuba street, £146 on Esplanade, £394 on High street £267 on Jackson street, £72 on Udy street, those being the principal amounts. Tarring of Jackson street absorbed a further £167.

HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING.

At the Hutt Borough Council meeting last night Mr T. A. Peterkm (Mayor) presided .and Councillors W. H. Russell, J. Ward, J. O’Sullivan, M. Hodgms, C. Wildsmith, F. Ross, W. Judd, and A. Baldwin wero also present. CEMETERY IMPROVEMENT.

In connection with the proposed improvements at the old Wesleyan cemetery, Mr Joseph Hall, one of those interested in the cemetery, w-rote agreeing. with the Council that improvements were very much needed. He suggested that tho names on the slabs be cut in and leaded, and that gravestones cruld bo removed by relatives who so desired it, stones left being buried about Ibin. Mr R. E. Pearce intimated that he could not consent to the proposals. It was decided to acknowledge both letters, and postpone action until all replies' had been received. GAS CHARGES. An Alicetown resident complained that he had been required to alter the gas fittings of his dwelling and to pay too much for tho service. To this the engineer replied that the fittings' were unsuitable. A certain size pipe was necessary to carry so many lights, and the minimum was laid down by tho local by-laws. The same difficulty had been experienced with some of the water services taken over from Pctone, for they would not bear the pressure. Councillor Ward spoke o£ a ratepayer who used gas for cocking as well as lighting. As there were two rates he was required, if ho wished to take advantage of the lower rate, to spend a couple of pounds for a distinct conncc-" tion with the mains. Councillor Ross could not see why an extra meter cculd not be put in. and ,tbe amount used for cooking substractcd from the main index. Councillor Bussell informed the Council that one ratepayer was so dissatisfied with the restrictions that he thought of putting in acetelyne gas. Everything should be dono to encourage the rtnsumption of gas. For instance, when there was complaint about leakages, the Council should promptly send someone to examine the pipes. ""We have tried that,” sadly replied the engineer, “but they repudiated our accounts." Councillor Ross was in farohr of referring the double meter question to the gas committee. The Mayor agreed with the engineer that outside plumbers should bo called in when there were leaks. The trouble over tho account would then be with

the plumber, which did not matter to tho council.

The council adopted Couucillor Ros-s’s motion Und decided to inform the complaining: ratepayer that the charges had been properly made, and that the original pipes were insufficient to provide the lights required, THE FIRE BRIGADE,

A claim for payment of the service's of two men who Itad been detailed to watching after two recent fires, a total of 20 hours, was received from the fire brigade. The Town Clerk had communicated with the Wellington City Council on the custom of the Vi ellinglon brigade, and had boon informed that the brigade did not give up charge of a fire until all danger is over. Should the companies wish, a man is left in charge after the fire is extinguished for salvage purposes only; they pay for that, and tftat only. Councillor Roffc suggested that the owners of the buildings and not the general ratepayers should bear the expense of watching after a fire to see that it did not break out attain. Councillor Baldwin was sorry the insurance companies could not bo forced to pay. When he approached a prominent insurance man on behHlf of the brigade ho was told, 'Won are taking the bread out of our mouths, and we are not going to subscribe to your funds. A good fire is an advertisement/* Councillor Hoflgins: They are not so fond of fires b-s a.U that. Several councillors agreed that while the owners should really bear the charge, Hie council should ensure that the men who did so much good work voluntarily should be paid bv the council if private persons neglected to do so when they time watching ruins. It wn* decided to jtay the amount claimed.

The resignation of Councillor W*, B. Nlcholson was received at last nignt s meeting of the Petone Borough Council. The Mayor, in moving that the resignation be received with regret, said _ that he had always found Councillor Nicholson to be animated bv a sincere desire to do his duty to those he served. Councillor Coles last night expressed the gratification felt by Petone Borough Councillors at the prospect of Mr MfEwan still occupying the Mayoral chair during the coming year. The Petone Salvation Army Hall is prettily decorated with flowers and evergreens for the annual harvest festival. A display of corn, fruit and vegetables is also being made. Last evening a musical programme was provided by a detachment of the Wellington city corps under Staff-Captain Maclure. The festival will bo concluded to-night with a promenade concert.

A statement bv the Mayor at last night’s meeting of the Petone Borough Council seemed to awaken councillors to a sudden sense of injustice. 'T deem it mv duty,” said the Mayor, to draw attention to the fact that the finances of the borough have sustained a loss of over d£6oo bv ’ the action of tho Government in declining to make proper provision for the pavment of rates on land acquired for workers* homes. Out of tne twenty-five houses erected, rates have been paid on- only seven, duo to many of the houses being let to weekly tenants.”

Tho Petone No-license League held a "social” in St. Augustine s Hall . last evening. The Rev. Wilson presided. Songs ’were given by Miss Rowse and Messrs Chamberlain, Joivett. Gray, ana Watkins. Other items were given by Miss McKinnon, Messrs Apps, Wright. and Watkins. The Rov Keay gave an address.

Tho question of providing an efficient sanitary service for Petone was again raised at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council. Councillor Co.os spoke strongly in favour of the work being placed on the coming year’s programme. The Mayor expressed his desire that this convenience should be pushed forward with as early as possible, but urged that caution must be exercised lost a greater burden be placed upon ratepayers than they could bear. The Mayor reported to last night's meeting of the Petone Borough Council that a writ had hoen served by Barber and Co. iu connection with the dispute as to th© Council's right to run watermains through a section occupied by tho. company. The Mayor’s action in placing the matter in th© hands of the borough solicitor was confirmed.

Those property owners who, in view of their prospective benefits from the scheme, have boon invited by the Tramways Committee to consider the question of conjointly guaranteeing the proposed service against loss for a fixed term of years, are expected to confer with the committee on Wednesday night next. In the event of no arrangement being arrived at on tho lines suggested, the Mayor of Petono said last night thrt he. would favour a scheme of betterment rating being applied.