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1913. NEW ZEALAND.

HUTT ROAD (REPORT OF COMMISSIONER RE ALLOCATION OF COST OF CONSTRUCTING).

Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Leave.

Public Works Department, Wellington, New Zealand, 19th June, 1913. Memorandum for the Hon. the Minister of Eailways, Wellington. Re Hutt Road. In pursuance of the direction contained in your Warrant of the Bth July, 1912, I have now the honour to submit for your information the following report on the allocation of the cost of constructing the new Hutt Road among the local authorities mentioned in the Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Amendment Act, 1911. The inquiry was commenced on the 30th September, 1912, and continued on the Ist, 2nd, sth, 6th, and 7th May, 1913, and the parties were represented as under: — Wellington City Council .. .. Mr. O'Shea. Petone Borough .. .. .. Messrs. T. F. Martin and R. C. Kirk. Lower Hutt Borough .. .. Mr. Blair. Hutt County .. .. .. Mr. Brandon. Onslow Borough .. .. .. Mr. Wilford, M.P. Makara County .. .. .. Mr. Luckie. Johnsonville Town Board .. .. Mr. Jerusalem. Upper Hutt .. .. .. Mr. D. M. Findlay. Eastbourne Borough .. .. Mr. Organ. Miramar Borough .. .. Messrs. M. Myers and R. V. S. Meredith. Railway Department .. .. At first -by Mr. Ostler, afterwards by Mr. Macassay. Preliminary Remarks. In order to understand this report some reference must be made to the recent history of the case. This is shown in the Hon. Mr. Millar's speech on the Hutt Railway and Road Improvement Amendment Bill, 1911 (Hansard, Ist September, 1911, pages 204-240); and it is illuminative inasmuch as it discloses how the new road came to be made, and why it was made at so much greater cost than was originally proposed. In 1887 the question of straightening the Hutt Railway first came before the Government, when a request was made that money should be provided for this purpose. In the years 1894, 1896, and 1898 Messrs. Duthie and Newman again brought up the subject. On the 17th July, 1899, a public meeting of the inhabitants of Petone and the Hutt Valley was held at Petone, when a resolution was passed urging the Government to straighten and duplicate the Hutt Railway between Wellington and Petone, and also urging that the road should be reconstructed when the railway-line was being straightened. A deputation subsequently waited on the Prime Minister on the 28th July, 1899, and asked that this should be done.

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