HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 542, 24 June 1909, Page 11

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

. }.:■ "!,(rnoa.\o'on spicu'l neponrisß.) HUTT VALLEY TRAMWAYS. THE PRESENT POSITION. • Now that the Hutt Valley Tramiv ay Board is .well on tho wpy of arriving ,at V decision .on the'/questions" it. has been considering .iately, it is. interesting to look back a littlo :and;review thoracis..;; The position that ma£ ters stand in. is as follows:—On .February 2 tho election' of. members took [place, and the first meeting was "held , later.' -It cannot'be .said tbat any considerable degree' of interest was manifested in the election. Tho general opinion' was that tlie board Sionld feel its .way. for, tho first ten or twelve •,monthsj':when the,; members would be in possession of. all possible;information, and the poople would then also .be fully' conversant With : tho question. 'IV wm that,when the ;, money market was' moA favourable the proposal should' go before the ratepayers, <vho might 'then be. prepared to sanction the . loan.: lie idea that a. loss on the running of tho trams for. the first'year. ,or ;two would' be almost. "certain 'to otoiir .wis. widely held. . Evidence,of:this.'is shown in an interview given by' li prominent ratepayer to a Dominion representative about tno . latter end of February. lie said:.. ' -. "If thero was a slight loss for, the. fy-st year or two amount to anything appreciable ! when., spread over 1 tho,. district. Assuming tho system to ; be a-moderate sue-, cess," and if only £1000 'or-'£2ooo had to be 'met: for .thoVfirst'iyear, he thought that al- ■ though ■it 'might.' not increaso values. at once,' it would harden, them, and Jin. a short period they would,, increase. He considered that '.whatever'the 'lo»>n.tiho, trams: would, be, tho. 'landowners .would .be' more than recouped by 'the increased'values?-He also mado t reference to; the gardening. and horticultural tioiis.-of the' Eutt VaUey as an inducoment for* city men; to live in tho: district: if 'the trams were laid." . • • • ■j • ■ ; ''

.-It is.interesting, :therefore;'tb note that'in tho sohomes : , recommended by ■. Mr..' H. ; . S. King, consulting engineer,- a profit is anticipated' on r.the first ' year's working.. If the trams: are laid down,Vand n loss is incurreil, it appears .that the, greater part of the- deficiencv,:'about two-thirds, will \ fall -upon Lower" Hutt, as its rateable valuo is nearly £LOOO,OOO, awhile- Pctone's .is only, about half this amount. ' This, it is stated,' is , quite fair'.to the Hutt,. as the greater, part of ;the scheme would bo in tho Hutt Valley. .

The next meeting ,of the- board will be hold on July 1. -: By that timeeach ■ : member should hayo; thoroughly, digested : tho report,' arid 'questions: of-itietai Iwill : be;, threshed out' with Mr. King, . -.That gentleman);. reconi-: irieuds- tho "adoption of steam{traction,, and, it ( is quite likely that the board will arrive at a decision at the meeting. .' ' i '■ Ghoico .has first .of all to be, made of the scheme -to ',bo /adopted—the longer .or the shorter one; < The route of tbeformer is from tho.Petone'. Railway' Stationj .along the, Hutt. Road ;to the, Hutt 'station*, through Railway A.TOUUO, across the-bridgo to Park Avenue; from --.Petone, Station 'through 'Jackson Street,'; through; Cuba: ° Street, .joining;the main lino' at the Hutt.. School icorrier,:- arid from, Cuba .and ' Jackson Streets across • the now" pipe bridge now in course of ercction, up RaceoourSo Rond; 'round the Belle Yuo Gardens; joining. both of the - other routes at: Feist's corner.'. ,A;branch lino runs down the i Middle: Waiwotu , .Road. , .The shorter route/ proceeds 'from tho 'Petone Station, * via Jackson and Cuba-Streets, to tho. Railway > Hotel, Lower Hutt, with a side lino from tbr . Hutt Station to tho_ junction, thcnco to Park '. : ';.';The: distance, of the';longef r 'route''is'.elev i 6ii: and a quarter miles, over, which. eight cars ' woMd f run,';the ; total;cost /being £63,182. ,The distanco of tho shorter route is ' ■ oyer,^whioh'- ; Bix ; " cats /would ''rurij-the' 'cost'; b«ng £37,438. • : The profit for the first: year, on the former , scheme is estimated at £187, and .on the latter £29. The figures quoted refer to . steam„.tractio'n._! that'. I 'th'et?board decides', to adopt ■;orieof tlie6e.twp s_ohemeß t a,couplo_of ; months , must/elapse . from the'dato o; that decision before the ratepayers can bo asked to declare themselves.-i The! statutory public meet, ings'will bo hold at'Petone;:L6wer Hutti arid Epuni Hamlet, and; the facts will be placed fully,, before - the residents. l GOLFING ON THE HUTT PARK. ■ The.Hutt Park Committee recently decided to open tho valuable park under, their jurisdiction to the devotees 8f golf, at the nominal charge of ono shilling per head per day. Already, enthusiasts ' arev. taking advantage of the offer, and they are to ,be seem every Saturday 7 scattered; over tho ■■ links.-■ There' was. quite a numbpr of players on tho ground' ; last Saturday.,afternoon.. •' ' PETONE OHESS CLUB. The Petone Chess Club has had a chequered, career. It .commenced: operations last 'year : wifch a:.."membership of® about a dozen enthusiasts, and gave; promise of filling a, blank m tho lives, .of..those* members' of tho w .community , who accorded 7 it their patronage. " Competitions in ' both chess . and draughts '.were .held, -and.. the keenest .interest.was aroused;,and m-the course of time the season-closed. A.fresh start was'' made .this, year., but,\for some reason or other, the old- members deserted, probably for kindred .lnatltutions; iarid .the kindness'of the' Borough Council, in granting -the. Also of a room for the members was thrown away." The club is no more. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. ' The annual meeting of the'Hutt Valley uomculfcural .Sooictyi was- hold on'-TucsclAV night, Mr, W. Jolliffo presiding. It was-re-' pprted;.that ;.the .Springy-Show .in - September last resulted ui:a gain' of £18 Is.,;while the roso and summer"shows resulted in a debit ££13 105,6 d.; .ror. trophies,' the thanks of | the association. wero accorded Mrsi Gcorgo Pearcej Messrs.: Stewart, ,Dawson and Co , I A. 'Hv; Hancock, T. , "Waugh, .C. Trevothick, It.- Pouiton, Cooper, M. Hodgins, E: Anstis, : ,W. Jolliffe, T. A.fPetorkin, G. A.- Chapman,' J., Young, 'A. Hobbs,- M'Manus, J. : Duthie, :l!van6 .and Son,;; Robert Turribull, and Orton Stcveus-' j'Tho. .que^ibn'-of i thi) .observance, of .Arbor Day wps referred 'to , by MajorM'Dotiald, .and he moved that tho Hutt Park Committeo, bo -approached' and' • asked if it ■ would co-operate with the society in planting a portion of tho park, the society to provide, and'plant trees . on,condition.; that- tho committoe.:guarantees /protection' -ofthe trees frpm,.stock.'.': :A : riiember;of: the Park Committco. told''a'; : feporter that ho felt su'ro -the committeo would bo only too glad to meet tho society in its endeavours. - , ■ : JOTTINGS. . "Under the Stars and Stripes" is tlje title; of -an .address to be delivered at the Oddfellows' Hall, Petone, to-night by Mr.-H. N.' ; Holriies, ':..secretary ' of; ' .tho : .Wellington Y.M.C.A. . iV.'-'Th'B ; induction ', ceromony of the Rev. . J.' M'Caw, of Martraborough, who has accopted a. call to tho Presbyterian Church at Lower Hutt, will take place on Thursday, July 8. Tlio Moderator (Dr. GibW Willi bo present, . Petone, will addrfes the minister and people. 'a-'.-.'::'';.'' :. '-There has beenia further subsidence of .tho ' P.etone/.Wharf, the .western side.having-gone down , about /eight' inches., It. is ' considered ! that, strong .currents , aggravated tlio original 'subsiderico.' -The'vmattor will, como "before . th» Harbour Board to-day. -V Tho Potorio Literary and Debating So- ■ ciety's second V meeting will'' bo held next' wcokj when Messrs. R. C. Kirlc and Robert [ HoggrWill dpbato the question of compulsory • military itraining. Th«. meeting will be open to the public. ■/ ; !;.The estimatss; and rates) for the:coming ; year will probably be fixed finally on Monday night by the.Petone Borough Council.