HUTT AND PETONE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6871, 15 July 1909, Page 10

HUTT AND PETONE

LOWER HUTT BOROUGH - council: . FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTER. There was a full attendance of councillors at last night's special meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council. Prior to going into committee to further discuss reports upon the expenditure of loan moneys, accumulated ordinary business was disposed of. Th© Wellington Rugby Union wrote, offering to discuss arrangements for playing rights for next season.—The Mayor and Councillors Kempthorne and Baldwin to attend to. 1 .

The Public Works Department notified that in view of the special circumstances, the Minister was now prepared to recommend the Governor to issue an Order-in-Council exempting the Old Military road from, the provisions of section 117 of the Public Works Act, provided the building line was set back to thirtythree feet from the centre line of the road*on' each side. —Received. Mr W. S. Short, commissioner, notified the council of the position in regard to negotiations for the inclusion of Gear Island in Petone borough, and acknowledged the council's formal objection. He hoped shortly to be in a position to name a time and place for hearing evidence. —Referred to borough solicitor. A Waterloo road resident complained that surface drainage had not been extended to his frontage as promised twelve months ago.—Work to be done at engineer's earliest convenience. . Notification w as received that the strip of land on River Bank road required for road-widening purposes, respecting which litigation was threatened, would b© vested in the council. The engineer reported the expenditure for th© fortnight to have been .£330 13s 3d, apportioned as follows : —District fund account £73 7s lid. Rras seneral account pg 5s sd, .£52,000 loan account ,£299. The council agreed to become responsible, in common with other affiliated bodies, for a proportional share of the oo.st of defending the appeal aenmst the judgment under which the Feilding Bor-ons-h Council was declared entitled to levy rates on certain Catholic properties in the borough. 4n offer from Messrs. Pitoaithly and Co. to take over the council’s lease of the shingle bed held by it was accepted. Shingle null henceforth be supplied to the council at 4d and to residents at 2d ner yard from any part of the beaches hdd'hv Messrs Piteaithly. The Town Clerk submitted a report regarding heavy traffic on the borough roads between ‘the station and the top of the Wainni hill. The clerk expressed the opinion that the traffic in question would be held to come within the provisions of section 192 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908. and suggested that a coreful record of tbe cost of repairs should be kept, and that the Wellington Citv. Council,-and also the contractor for the cartage of the materials, should be notified that the council will exercise the powers conferred hy the section of the Act above-mentioned.—Recom-mendation adopted. ■ . A motion by Councillor Baldwin requesting Messrs Meason and Marohant to furnish details as to the amount expended and rermirod to be expended upon sewerage construction did not find a see order. Tho- mover pointed out that in furnishing hia estimate of the cost of completing the works the borough engineer had supplied complete details. Councillor Mncnskill said that the report would'-Tv* of little value, the Mayor replying that he thought otherwise, and would not oppose th© motion. Councillor Baldwin moved _ for returns detailing tho-dates and conditions under which the consulting engineers and Messrs Ingram, J. Gardiner, and Cometti * were engaged.- The Mayor seconded the motion. The borough enginer intimated that th© return was prepared. Th© Mayor then moved that the council go into committee to further consider th© reports regarding loan expenditure.

Councillor Baldwin asked why the matter could not be taken in open copncil. The May-pr: Because wo are conducting this inquiry in committee. Ther* are obvious reasons why, it should not bo, public—one is that it will bft necessary .to take evidence of borough workmen and others who might not care to give evidence in public. v Councillor Baldwin; Will the additional reports .of the-engineer be-handed the press for publication, as was done with previous reports ? The Mayor: X shall have no objection ' their being handed to the press when the inquiry, is finished. These are reports to committee—tho others were reports to the council. The inquiry is not nearly finished yet. The council then resumed in committee.

The annual ball in connection with tho Peton© Naval Artillery Volunteer company was held in the Drill Hall last evening. The function was a complete success in all respects. The annual- congregational "social” in connection with- St. Andrew's Church was hold in tho Petone Oddfellows'Hall last evening, .the Ttev. -A. Thomson presiding. The attendance was • large. A lengthy musical programme was contributed to by local and city vocalists and instrumentalists. . -