HUTT AND PETONE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 3

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS

(mOU s OUR L BrEOHL EEFOIITEB.); » ■ AU REVOIR. Before their final meeting closed last evening, members of Lower Hutt Borough Council congratulated the Mayor on his stewardship, and reviewed the work of their term of. office. ■::.■■.. ■'; ■■■■'■ ..■ ■... ■■"■"'. Tho Mayor (Mr. T.r A. "Teterkin) remarked that, as this was tho last time that ho would sit in tho mayoral chair, ho would like- to say a fow words before vacating it. He wished to thank tho officers—the town clerk, the engineer, and tho staff under them—for the attention and courtesy that had been oxtended to him as Mayor. He wished also to thank Councillor Russell for having officiated uhile ho had been unable to attend to tho affairs of the borough. He' had also to thank councillors for tho courtesy they had always shown him. They had not had a wry word since ho had occupied the chair, and ho trusted thai; their relations would continuo to be just as amicable. Ho hoped that tho man who occupied the mayoral chair after nim. would take the samo interest as ho had in what tho council helped him to do. Ho would always look back with pleasure to the days which he had spent in tho Lower Hiitt Borough Council. (Applause.)■■. , Councillor Russoll; speaking as senior councillor, thanked Mr, Peterkin for his kindly references. Tho work of, the council had proceeded with a minimum of friction. The council appreciated the amount of time and thought and. care which Ihe retiring Mayor had given to tho affairs of ; the borough.. With his wife he had officiated as host on several ■ occasions in a manner which redounded to the credit of Lower Hutt. The work of the council had beou well done, and tho loan .undertakings' had been carried on nearly to completion. As the late Mayor had remarked on a similar occasion, there had always been, a section of Lower Hutt residents ready to criticise adversely," and the present council had not escaped. The council would join with him in wishing Mr. Peterkin renewed health and long life.' (Applause.) M . Other councillors followed up the remarks of the senior councillor, and the' Mayor returned, thanks. ;■• •'. . ■ .

: HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL. LAST MEETING OF TERM. Tho last meeting of the - present Lower Hutt Borough Council was held last evening, and was attended by : Mr. T. A. Peterkin (Mayor), and Councillors W.: Hi - Russell; John Ward, J. O'SullivSn, M. J. Hodgins, Wildsmith', Judd, and H. Baldwin..\. Mr. J. Dawson, electrical engineer, replying, to an inquiry from the cßwicil, submitted an estimate of the cost of a fire alarm service, for Lower. Hutt, consisting of/four alarm boxes, as at Petone. , The estimate was referred to' the incoming council. Messrs. Bunny, Potberick, and Ay-son'wrote intimating that their clients, Messrs.. Gosse and Burt, would not accept the offer of tho council'as compensation for the alleged damage to 1 the approach to their property through the building, of tho Melling Bridge. The writera had been instructed to begin proceedings claiming £200. On the motion of Councillor Russell, it was agreed to write stating that no further liability was admitted. Five residents of Epuni Street .petitioned that one of the footpaths should be cleared of grass for a length of about fifteen'chains, and tho council decided-to put a-man. on the work., ' ' The engineer reported that the excavation was completed for the main eastern septic tanks,, and .tho concrete-work would- now., be put in, hand. - The drainage on the western side was now, progressing favourably. To, date; 420; house connections had been made with the water mains. Re-decking of the bridge over Waiwetu River and repairs would mean an expenditure'of £81 approximately. The, council adopted. the • report, and the engineer was. instructed to place tho item for proposed bridge improvement on the estimates for tho .consideration-of the! incoming: council. - The matter of widening at; Emeny's corner was referred to, by Councillor Russell, the' council .resolved, to point out to 'the solicitors fchat:\undue.delay'had occurred in bringing the caso before the; Court; Accounts.amounting to £160 16s. lid. were' passed for payment. 'THROWING DOWN THE GAUNkp. At his meeting in the Lower Hutt Town Hall last evening, Mr. J. T. Hawthorn, candidate for the Mayoralty, announced that ho had challenged Mr. W. H. Russell, one of the other two candidates, to a public debate. If lie was unable to prove, to : the satisfaction, of the judges that Mj. Russeil had not dealtcorrectly with the "municipal" accounts, he would bo prepared to donate £10 for the improvement of the Recreation Ground, 1 vided' his opponent" would agree to make a similar payment if the judges decided against him., ■ ■Correspondence is-'proceeding between (to. parties,' but no arrangement has yet been made. ■ - .'. HUTT MAYORALTY. SPEECH BY MR. HAWTHORN. ; Mr. J. T..Hawthorn, ono of tho candidates, for the' Hutt Mayoralty/ addressed a meeting at tho own Hall last evening. - Mr. Orton Stevens was chairman.'. In the coiirso of his speech, Mr. Hawthorn denied that members of the Tramway Board (of whom he was one) drew £1" per member for each moet-ing. ' They had the right to do so, but intended that their board should cost tho district'" as little as possible till they had a : scheme out. In regard to his lease of offices to the council, to which reference had been: made, he had fully guaranteed to complete his scheme of providing a town hall in addition. For tho present premises the council paid him £150 per annum, but this was only £80 over the amount (£7O) which they . previously paid for the old -premises. Ho had refused an offer of- £20,000 for-the premises as -they stood, because he was (though not legally) morally bound to complete,the entire scheme. . , While, he believed in amalgamation, .lie realised that this could not-bo forced upon the people even by au Act of Parliament. He ridiculed Mr. Russell's outlino of mi amalg;)* matod district with magnificent offices,- an engineer receiving £1000 in salary, and a town clerk getting £800. Ho favoured a' tramway system, because ho believed it would cheapen land, not in the centre, perhaps, but farther : out. It had been said that he would oppose amalgamation' because he would then loso tho rent paid by the River Board. That rent was £o0 per acre; but under amalgamation he could save £23 in rates on them through rating on: unimproved value. It was time that system of rating was adopted in the whole -district. (Hear, , hear.) Mr.' Hawthorn severely- criticised the , finances 'of the , council, 'and stated , that - the present -heavy overdraft was increased by £1013, by reason of that amount having beeu .raised for various works which had never been executed. In a former meeting Mr. Russell stated that £500 additional would be enough to complete the drainage scheme, but at his last meeting lie increased his estimate to £2500. Very soon lie would n'Ln? n 'V, s CMr, Hawthorn's) estimate of £4SUO. Un the. contrary, his other opponent, Mr. Bunny, put the figure at £10,000. The actipri of the council in raising the engineer s salary by £150 in,one year wasia most unbusinesslike action. The council should instead, havo given , him a, bonus when ho had completed his schemes within his estimates. (Applause.), Mr. Bunny's supporters had declared a certain intention with referenoo to the' engineer, and,.reading ' between tho lines, 'ho could see ' that their intention was to revert back to the 5 per cent.- system of engineering. That would bo a retrograde step. In reply to Mr; M'Donald, Mr. Hawthorn said that he did not object to any of the loans that had, already been raised. Mr. J. W. Reade, of Wellington, asked how if the engineer were a "capable man, 1 ' Mr' : Haw-thorn could oxplaih his estimating tho cost of completing the drainage schemo at i £2000, while Air. Hawthorn's estimate was i £4500, and Mr. Bunny's £10,000. Mr, ' Hawthorn: When did - the eneinenr estimate it at £2000? ■ - Mr.- Reade : To you, in my presence, in , your office. . - J Mr; Hawthorn: I say he did-not. Vou < know what that moorfa. ' ,

Mr. Reado remarked that somebody was not telling the truth.. ■■ Mr. Reid then qucstijoncd Mr. Hawthorn severely as to his intentions ovor<-tho Town Hall property, and Mr, Hawthorn, said he had already said-he did not. intend?to soil tho property till tho development was complete. ■.■;■■•■■■■.■■.. ■' ''■ 31r. Ifeadc: Is it true that eight or ten weeks ago you had a farmer down hero from Wairarapa, and tried to sell him ■ tho property in exchange for. his farm, but ho refused!, ■ , "■:'; --' : ' ; '. ,' " Amid some disorder"tho chairman refused to accept tho question,,as being,entirely a private matter. After other 'questions, Mr. Reado protested against.Mr. Hawthorn's candidature Rcnerally. An elderly .ratepayer, near the front, asked tho chairhlanto call upon Mr. Reads for a song. • This was refused. ;The meeting .terminated good humduredly. ■ ? -' ■ '.;; "It will certainly be necessary for the hii coming council to consider tho adviribility of putting on a day ranger," said Councillor Russell at last night's' meeting of tho Hutt Borough Council. A complaint was received that horses had been *walking over a newlytarred footpath, in. Brunswick Street, and councillors remarked-that several horses had been looso on the stre<>ts;onlv that morning. Councillor Ward assorted that the streets were not as well patrolled now as 'they-i had been ten years ago at.a quarter.of;tlierOost. It was resolved to inquire' of* the".rangerf'as to the work he had been engaged upon that day. '■..-....' . t :.■'■,..■ -,U .-,..-..,... : Arrested for causing a .disturbance,' jn Jackson Street while drunk, George Elliott was brought .before Messrs.- J. W.~ M'Ewan' and R. Mbthes, J.P.'s; at'Petono yesterdayi ■■■"■ Ho was fined 205., in default; seven'.days', imprisonment. ..j-"- ■■-- ■".-;'. ,*j;';,;,7 ; The uewly-formcd hockey club in' connection with Petono" Baptist' Church'-has blccjprl the following officers:—Pr'esident, :; Rev. T. A. ; Williams; vice-presidents,"'. Mesdarnes-Wil-liams, Godber, 'Lewthwaite; , Nicholsoii f,,"secretary, Miss M. Lowe;" treasurer, ifrs.' Blakely. '■ ; ' : .-'' : i: ; ,:•;.■..'■:--..:. -.