HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 512, 20 May 1909, Page 2

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(FROM ODE BrECIAt BEPOBtEB.I . .. »- — l ' •

THE EXPANSION OP PETONE, Shopkeepers in Pctono agrco that: the slumj ■ which has nlTeplcd some of the retailers in . the capital has not been frit bo acutely in tha . suburb. Evidences of prosperity aro not want, i ing, and only two or three Vacant shops aro to be seen in the main street.- An empty honM , is a' rarity, although building operations are quiet. Tho growth of Pctone as a business centre ia most noticeable at the eastern end of- the town. Within recent months quite a number of substantial business premises have been erected, and tenants liavo been forthcoming in nil" cases. If progress continues as rapidly as during the past year or. so, tho post office, in* stead of marking tho end of tho town as far as shops go, will bo situated in tho coutrb of a long line of commercial houses. Between th«. Municipal Buildings and thij river , there is ample room for numerous shops, and a. good ' deal of. prophecy is heard in . regard to tho developments'that must Halce place when tho. trams' aro 'tunning up Cuba, Street. Already . this portion of the towm has a jeweller's shop, a dairy,:'.confectioner's,', boot emporium, and' the substantial building now' almost opmpletcd for the Bank of_Now Zealand is situated _in : Eastern' Jackson Street.' .'When the new bridg* .• gives direct communication -with "overrthe* river," tho tendency, to ndvanco ea6t will b® much more strongly in evidence. • DEATH OF AN INFANT.. ' An infant five months old, Ilarold Leitiiam,, -. died at an early hour • yesterday' morning at x .the licensed * home' of Mrs. Calhngham, Main •' Road, lower TTult. Death, is sLaifcd to have s : |. Ijeen caused by a complication. ■of • .infantila , troubles.'.. Tho inquest;, was openodjyestci*day '' afternoon by tho Coroner, (Dr. M'Arthur) and '. : after ' the ovidcnoe of Dr. Hector , had boon ' j partially, heard an adjournment was made .until to-morrow morning. • The remainder of thaproceedings will bo; taken; at Wellington. " HUTT PARK' COMMITTEE.'' A special meeting of tho Hutt Park Comt' imttee was held in tho Mayor's room, Petone, last night. ,It ■ was attended by Messrs. W. M'Ewan, A. Colquliotm. R. J. Soutligato, IT. Baldwin, A. Macasldll,!and J. L, Barlow.''" , The two new members recently appointed from Lower Hult Borough Council—Meters. Barlow aiid Machskill—woro ; welcomed. He. Baldwin was elcoted to the chairmanship. . . ..' A resolution was -passed , authorising tlifl': ■ chairman' and Mr. M'Ewan to interview tha committeo'q solicitors regarding Messrs, Stafford and Trcadwell's bill of costs, with a view to considering, what steps should be taken'to defond. tho : oaso; set down for hoaring on: tt« N Sitll. It was also resolvedi That tho Governor-ii" Council beasked / to:: authorisetho ; com> mittea to lease, for a term of fourteen.years,: tho portion of the park over tha Waiwetu . Stream." \ - •• . :., VOICE OF A SCHOOL COMMITTEE. . 'j Announcement is noiv :tliai'the ;.\VeU :■ ; lington liihication Board lias appointed Mr. F. Motlios as'assistant, teaohor in rotono School. , Somd feeling.;.iß evinced by' tho committee at' :. tho method followed by the bolird in'regard'to / ' . . this appointment. .There were' fdur applicants, . for the', and: the ..names,: pfacod' in . order', of-merit, were eent on by tlio board. The oo.niinitteo , found that. :the ; . credentials, of only 0110 applicant: woro submitted to them. 1 and. passed ai.resolution .(previously. published) . with regard, to tho matter. ;_ .. . ', , A member of the. School Committee told'Tnn Dominion' ro|iorter' that. their desire, was to . deal fairly with-the applicants, and act m tho best interests 'of,, tli? .sehpol. Therehad. . boon > occasions when the second or third on tho'- list .. submitted. by... tho board .had- boon :.. chosen by the, commilteo,; and they expected to bo' allowed, as in .those, cases, ..toassist in .tho final (selection,| In the present instanco. . 'however,';particulars'.'had': been sent in .'regard' to. ono/. man only, and: in a later letter, when the credentials of, the other, three were asked y , for,,, it '■ was '• merely'.stated that two. had only a partial-certificato, and of- Hie .fourth "tl|o,, board had no direct, knowledge. As "a matter . of, fact; ono, of . tho rejected applications camo .from a young man, who, like Mr.; Mothes, was trained:at I'ctmio School. "He w'as.an intelligent scholar; and; liitcr served ,as a pupil teacher in the local school,, giving satisfaction. JIo. lias .had longer , experience 'than Mr. Mothes, but has only a partial certificato (through failure in singing). , This applicant is at present.Bolo.teaohor inVaJcountryschqpV and, at .the -recentexaminations, his ;.two ; pupils' in Standard, Vl.-gained ; profici(incy tificates, witK 75 ptjr cent'., ana one, pupil in Standard' ATI gained a Junior ; National Scholarship. Thoso facts wure > not placed bo* fbro the committee, who: were simply told that • because Mr. Mothes "had done 6uch good work at Matahiwi; tho inspectors recommended hiin ,' as the:most suitable person for the position." Tho committee woro not biased in any way, but acted as tliey did simply to endeavour to: : doal with tho applications justly, giving erery man. duo. coimiaeratioii,: ' . - >.-. ;

. iMONG THE MAORIS; ; - . ..Th# Rey. A.' J. Seainer, of Pctono W«sleysn Church, addressed a largo crowd. m the Oddfellows' Hall last evening, his subject: being • "Tho Humonr and Pathos of Modem.MaoriLife." ! In the - course , of his recital, (which, was illustrated by a ■ number of appropriate' lantern , slides), Mr. Seamer- mentioned .- that ■ there were, still.:a number, oftho■ original . ■ Morioris, or at least descendants of this jace, v in ; tho Dominion, and the Maoris-were very i sensitive about referencb lo them. Ho .would - not, •therefore, name tlie . districts in which! ' t&y 'resided. On® of the slides was a photograph of a tiurying; ground of. ths .-.! showing a. number of skulls arid bones lying, in the sand; - The Rov. Mr. Soamer described Urn life of the modern Maori,'-;• ilhuftiftatmg lua 1 story with suitable and amusing anecdotes, and Bpoko of the wonderful physicnl characteristics of :tho King' Country, and Hot Lakes ' district. .The-Rev, B. F, Eothwoll, of Lower Hutt, was in- charge of tho lantern.-.. ' ■ . . '-'-'-.L.CITIZENS' BAND' BALL. • The-annual ball of. tho Potono Citizens' Band . was .held' inMlie Drill, Hall last evening, and ' about 60 couples took part in tho dancing. , This function has . 'come, to bo one .of 'tho !, most -popular assemblies' of tho district, and tl)o arrangements last evening were of : the best. • Tho master's of ceremonies were Messrs.. : J. Laney, A.. Sltinhoi', and A. White, awl Mrs. Pollock's orohestra: supplied tho ' ' . , HOCKEY ' ■ A match on tho Recreation Ground yosterd&j afternoon, between Petojio. Wednesday Hockey ' Club A'. teaM and Artillery! resulted in the do feat of'the; local'team by five goals to nil, i'