HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 500, 6 May 1909, Page 6

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(moil ODB BPEOIAI, 'BEPOnrSE.I

A NERVE TEST.' ' ■'• Running a series of perpendicular ladders up the ■ giant chimney of the Gear Company's works has-just boen accomplished. Only a man of, good nerve could have dono it, and the un-' dcrtaking was watched with interest., The work of fixing the ladders was commenced yesterday morning. One length was. bound at a time, and the ekyward path was quickly formed. The jack, hooked up to tho topmost rung, drove iron "dogs" into the side of tho chimney, on which to-tie. tho next length of ladder. So tho solitary man engaged (there was only room for one) worked up to tho top, and the giddy process was repeated on the other eido. It was rather a thrilling 6ight, and not by any means a pleasant one, to watch tho man springing up from rung to rung, allowing, his body to fall back to tho full extent cf hia arms at every step. Then.-ho commenced work, adjusting'a pulley, rotyinc a rope, using both hands, and depending solely on 1 tho supnort of tho leather belt about his waist. And, just to show that (this potty aid was of no consequence,he discarded it, and resumed hammering higher np, without a tremor. Standing'on the topmost rung of a ladder, 80ft. above, the ground, this climber from the Old Country steadied a ohisel with one hand and hammered it with the other. At the close of tho day 200 ft of' ladder oompassed tho entire length of-the chimney,' the black smoke enveloping the uppermost portions.. This was merely the bo« ginning of the work, which-is the remedying or several cracks running up and down' the chimney.'- Iron bands will bo bolted round it to prevent auy further cracking. •'. ' i SALE OF'WORK. The ladies of the Sewing Guild attached to Petqne; Church of Christ have had nothing industrious. year, - and evidence of this , was given yesterday afternoon when the annual sale of work was opened in the Christian Chapel, i Sydney Street. The stalls are hung with all manner. of. plain and fancy work, 6weets, and' home necossarios. Mr. B. A. Wright, M.P., made tho formal opening yesterday, and tho' other speakers were Messrs. B. M. M'Crackctt (preacher), and T. H. Mathieeon (of Oamaru}.: Buying sot in briskly during the afternoon, and, in the evening, oven better bnsincse'Avae done. An attractive programme was submitted, and for to-night further attractions are announced.* iTlie ealc conoludes this evenine. The stallholders are:—Plain work stall, Mrs. •Howe and Mies Edwards: eweete stall, Misa Potersi and Mise M'lnacsj gcntlemon'B stall, Mies Howe and Miss Battereby; fanoy stall, Mrs. 'WarbuitiSn and Mrs. Taylor, jun.; jumble stall, Mrs.- Cloutt and Mrs. Taylor j tea room, Mrs. Huggics and Mrs. Battersby. Prooccda will bo devoted to tho renovating of the chapel.

• , . PJGTONE HUE BOARD; . ' , A meeting of Petone Fire Board was held in tlie Mayors room yesterday afternoon. ■ • Present—Messrs. J. " W. ITEwan (chairman). E. Mothes, J. a Castle, R. M. Simpson, J. Mailard, and B. J. Southgata. . .: v

A fortnightly extension of time- was granted ■ to Mr. J. Dawson to finish Mβ contract for the , -' installation of four electric alarm boxes. ■ The Fire.Brigade Supply Company, Napier,■•■■ wrote that 10 .per cent would be allowed off the. ' price of the damaged lielmots supplied, and, ns ' the superintendent reported that ho himself had - taken out the. dents, it was resolved to pay tho account less, 10 per cent. ; \ The office of.fheilinister for Internal Affaire forwarded the third and fourth quarterly payments (J225) of.the Government subsidy. Dunedin Eire Board wrote asking if the board would support the proposal to approach, the Minister for Internal Affairs with a view to holding an inquiry into every fire. Members of the board opposed the scheme, holding t&at it would be unnecessary to investigate small outbreaks and chimney fires. Moreover, ■ they agreed that sufficient provision'was now. ; made for the holding of inquiries into mysteri. ous firee. ■■.-• . .. . :,. ■ .... .. ■ • .

THE GAS AGREEMENT.

Speaking at tho first meeting of the newly« elected' Potone Borough : Council last' evening, the 1 Mayor (Mr; J. W. MTJwan) dealt with tho gas agreement. The Hutt Borough Council, he ■ said, had had before thorn an offer to onter into an new agreement forvtho supply of gas at 4s. 3d. • per thousand for threo years, and at is. per thousand for tho succeeding four years of aseven years' term. The present, agreement, for 55., per thousand, 'expired , in August next.. If , the Hutt" Council-accepted the offer; it would' be' neoessary to consider the ordering of a'now" gasholder. .To place'the gasholder in position' would occupy, about 21 months from the date of ordering, and it would bo necessary to tion this purchase almost •. immediately. ,• Hβ would suggest the possibility of arranging for a supply of coal\ landed over the wharf, and 'delivered in the gasworks yard. It would almost pay to havo a ship; coming with,- say, 500 tone at-a time. If this were dono, it would bo possible tof supply others in the town at a. price that would make it inadvisable for them to get coal in Wellington. ■'.-. ■•'■ . .■■•

PETONE. MAYORAL INSTALLATION. The mayoral installation took place at" Petone Inst evening. The wholo of the new council wore present. - ' ' . Councillor. Short, as: senior councillor, con-' gratulate'd'the , Mayor on having beon returned to the office!for the third successive torm.' The Mayor welcomed tho new councillors. One of the first matters to be considered , by' ' the new council was.the sewage system, Thoy had a report from Mr. Mostaycr based on tho Shone system. The council wpuld have to con- ■ sider whether that system, should be installed or whether they . would favour " a combined schemed covering tho whole of tho, borough, and including that portion' which' would be : drained when the eastern schomo was completed. This might mean .taking, up all the existing drains and relaying them,. with the exception of tho. Nolson. Street scwor, which" would eventually convoy tho whole, of tho ' water coming down Percy's. Gnlly. ; Tho scheme would mean tho diversion of the Whole of the drainage,' including household waste, to , the sanitary depot to bo treated in a septio tank. .No moro important proposal could come boforo the council. ' .In regard to tho eastern drainngo works now in progress, the. . council would have to decide upon the motive , power to be. installed. Then they would bo asked to consider tho raising of tho loan authorised for theso'. .drainage works. . They had an offer from a'money-lending society for the money at 4} per" cent;.'. Again, application had been niado to the 1 Government for'a loan > under tho Local Bodies' Loans Act at 3\ per cent. The application had beon approved by x 'the Government. There, was, however, a little hitch with regard to this approval. ; The acquiring of the whole of tho catchment area of the waterworks had como before the lalo council. They had leased from tho Government SOO acres, 1 part oif tho Norn)andald Settlement, and it' would devolve upon the new council to consider what wos to uo done 'with that block of laud. Tho engineer would report, aud they would seo to it that the exneriances of last winter not repented. .' The spending of portion of tho recreation ground improvement moneys would' bo considered. On deposit in the bank they had .£2OOO. for tho purpose .of improvements, arid, if the ground on tho other side of tha stopbauk were drained and levelled, they, would bo able to accommodate next season three or four more football teams. They would also have to ' undertake.'shortly'the : .formation -of au approach to tho new traffic -bridge. ' ~

■ HUTT ILIYOKAL INSTALLATION. ,The Lower Hntt Borough , Council held a statutory mooting last evening,'at which the Mayor-elect (Mr. E. P. Bunny) was installed, and councillors made the declaration required to Act of Parliament. ATr. Bunny, in Wβ speech, remarked .that as far as ho himself was concerned, lio came-forward from a , feelin j of public duty. The past election had not been one of an ordinary nature, inasmuch as never before had the ratepayers taken euch n great interest in a municipal election. In connection with the accounts, it was significant that the general account was in. debt to tho' extent of ,£7510, the outstanding rates amounted to iMGt, and some of theme were very doubtful. The incoming general revenue, ho understood, was only about ,£BOOO, the same ns last year. As to the gas agreement, it would have to ba considered immediately." A very important matter also would- bb - tho question of holding an inquiry into the oxpeudituro of the loan accounts. ■ ■ , Councillor Baldwin and Mr. Poterkin both spoke briefly. . : . ~, ... , - . . JOTTINGS. .. . ,■ Charged with vagrancy, a lnd'of-eighteen,' named hdward . Ashbv, camo before Messrs, ■ft'... Inglis and R. Mothos, J.P.'b, at a Bit tin;; of tho Potono Police Court yesterday morn, ing. He .was remanded for a week, and recom. mended to look for work i:i tho meantime. A first offender for drunkenness was convicted and discharged. . ' ■As tho result; of representations''made. Mr. P. Black will submit to the Tramway Board at their next meeting his terms for 'preparing a. comprehensive report on steam, petrol, and electric tramway systems, having regard foi tho requirements pi tho valley. '