HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 552, 6 July 1909, Page 2

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(ntou ouit inxut, ERronTEn.i ♦ LOWER HUTT POLICE COURT. Dr. A. M'Arthnr, S.M., presided over the montlily tilting of tlio Magistrate's Court, held at l'ctono yesterday. Messrs. J. Wilkins, and J, Cudby, J.P.'s, were also on the ilcnch, A cliargo of assault, preferred against William Aubrey, was withdrawn. On a charge-'of refusing'to quit licensed prevoises when so requested, the same defendant was convicted and lined 205., with lis. costs. Charged, also, with driving a vehicle without lights alter darlt, Aubrey.was huod 55., with IS. COStB. The-evidence was lengthy, in a oaso in which U. Southee proceeded againßt J. L. Hailow (Mr. Vilford), plumber, to recover £37 25., made up as follows:—(1) £20 for general damages; (2) £15 for fiyo weeks' wages: and £2 2s. for medical expenses, 1 Plaintiff-stated that ho was injured by bomI ing in contact with a broken bottle, which, Iho alleged, had been negligently_left, upright ou tho ground by defendant; or his employees. - After hearing the evidence, judgment wa» given for defendant, without costs. In the undefended case, Leggott and _ Nelson v. J. J. Oronin, claim £15 55."4 d., judgment was givon for plaintiff, with costs £1 , 10s. 6d. PETONE GAS AND KATES. A special meeting of the Potone Borough Council, held last evening, was. attended by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan), and Councillors Short, Harding, Southgato, , Colquhoun, Piper, List,. Young, Jones, and Tmmann. Referring to the gas agreement, tho tower Hutt Borough Council intimated that it wa» prepared to sign conditionally ;to tho alteration. of a clause therein. This related to a reduction of the period during which-tho council is absolved from liability in'the case of failure to maintain the sup-, ply. Replying to a question raised by Councillor Piper, tho Mayor stated thai, assuming that the council desired to place loaa proposals (covering improvements to gasworks, about. £6000). before tho ratepayers, and assuming that it was thrown out, no difficulty would bo experienced in, financing any plant required to carry on tho gasworks. Councillor Piper, in objecting to the confirmation of the agreement, said that ha was not optimistic about the profits likely to bo derived from the gasworks. -He stated .that, in "1907, the works showed a profit of . £459; in 1908 a profit of £108 95.; finally, in 1909, there was a debit balance of £524. The profit for three years was thus ,shown to be only £40 9s. 9d;. According to the Mayor, Councillor Piper' had simply placed tho actual cash credits before the council, leaving entirely out of consideration tho largo amounts of money (amounting to £2875) that had; been- expended in additions and improvements to tho works. This amount, he .added,/should certainly bo charged.; to capital account. 'After a lengthy, and, at times, lively discussion, a resolution was carried—Councillors Piper, Colquhoun, and Trumann dissenting—confirming the agreement with tho Hutt. In reference to- tho price of gas, it was resolved, on tho recommendation of tho engineer, to reduco tho price for power purposes from 6s. Bd. to ss. 10d., representing , a loss in revenno of £100. Tho Mayor spoke against the" proposal to reduce tho price of gas to ordinarv consumers. In tho course of some discussion, it was proposed . to place tho cost of cooking gas to the con-i , sumcr on the same lovel as that of the moro oxpensive lighting gas. This K proposal, how« over, was not agreed to. Adjustments' of rates were decided upon (on tho motion of tho Mayor) as follow:— Tho present,general rate of ljd. in tho £ to bo increased to 2jd. Tho increased rato includes the sanitary,fee,of, 15s. ; A~ reduc-* lion of id. "'in"the''£J in respect to the in< torest rates, was approved, >No,increase wa/ \ mado to tho wator rato.' * I > - • i .. . ... .: > i "' ■. jottings!' ' < It was originally stated that tho profos* sional< footballers on tour-would not be able ' to leave Sydney until Wednesday, but, according to tho cable, it appears that they have mado arrangements with, the Ulimarda to wait and, now, they are expected to- , morrow. i Tho roports of Messrs. H. Rix-Trott (Bor» ough Engineer) and P. R. Purser (Town Clerk), in roply to tho allegations contained in tho joint report, of Messrs. Meason and - \ Marchanton the'administration'of tho Hutt Borough Engineer's department, have been handed to the Mayor (Mr. E. P. Bunny). Thoy will be considered at a special meeting l of tho council, to be held on Friday evening, ' • Tho monthly mooting of the Pelono Technical School Board of Managers will bo hold in tho Technical School this cvoning. ' An address will bo given by Mr. A. W, Hogg in Potone on July 19. Tho subject ist • "Land, Labour, and Capital, or How to' Ensure Prosperity."