HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 7

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(From Our Special Eeportcr.)

HUTT ItfVEB, BOARD

The Hutt River Board mot last night, there being present; Mostirs. Robert Stevens . (in.the qluiir), Qrton, Slovene, H., gladden, (U Peters, the solicitor (Mr. Bunny), and the engineer (Mr. LainE-Mcason). ■. •. ■ . The overseer (Mr, E, Fisher) reported follows:—General work—Willow-planting has' been the chief work dpno during thp month. . Fjve thousand bundles. ; have been set iii (the bank fillings 'fit various .places, This work will be • completed within, a week. Several freshes have taken place "during the month, ranging from 2ft,. to sft. Gin, above tho summer leve). The defence works sustained < no damage) and are'in a very sound opndi* , tion', '". ' I A- Jotter was received, from'the Petono ] Borough Cpurigil/ complaining of the. erosion ] at the ' sanitary depot, and stating that, despite the optimistic-view, taken by Mr- ; (i. . Laing-Mcasau, the river erosion was i rapidly transferring.tliese lands into part of', the water-covpred. estuary. Tho engineer remarked that even- if the : basin pycrflowed, it would do .-mare good : than harm, as any silt would'"- aid. the .- ground. The, obairrqan: Then you don't think there : is anything to take notices of? ■ . The 'Engineer'; No.. .-.■".■ Mr, §l#len; Can they actually show that ; they have, lpst land there?. The Engineer; That can only be settled by survey, Mrt> Pladden: If they can't show us that : they have lost land,, then, there is nothing to growl at,. • ; ' : Mr. Qrton Stevens: I ire should stiok to pur engineer, and we should..reply to that effect. We don't want to admit any .liability at all, .-','■•' The'solicitor was instructed to cooperate with, the engineer >'n drafting, a reply. : Mr. \Y. H, Rnsse])'s. letter, regarding , lapsed meetings (already published) was read. Mr. Russell desired tp know how many meetings .had lapsed since April 1, ,1908,-and 'f the-officers were paid for these lapsed meetings, and, if so, how much. '; Mr.Qrton Stevens; I think 'thai,,'it is very.discourtequs of Mr, Russell to publish the'letter beforo we received if. 1 don't ; think Mr. Cuff ought; to reply to it. ~ The chairman: The. reply need not be sont unless,the'beard-'wish. ~''.• The olerk; It has been sent already, ' The reply was as ■' ".; / ~' - Since 'April 1, 1908, twenty-four . meetings have been called, and of these : seven have lapsed for want of a quorum. '■ "The solicitor has attended all/ these : .meetings with the exception of one, -when he was away from home, and '. 'makes no ohargo for such attendances he is only paid for legal work actually . done for the board. - The engineer is.paid £8 Bs. for each attendance,: but these attendances include an inspection of the works in progress, which ocoupjes some' ■ hours during tho days on which he / attends the meetings of the; board in the . evenings and his report thereon. ,'• : .Mr. Orton Stevens: The reply' should ,be given to the press so 'that'it should receive, equal publicity. Of course; I don't blame the press in the slightest. When'did Mr.' Russell .get tho reply?' •. .' \ : •■> » , Mr/Cuff: Yesterday. "■■ ■'.'.. ! :/'- •'.The'matter then dropped. .... . ."•' ■ • 'THE RIVER BOARD'S ASPIRATIONS, ■ I; The Hutt- River Board's scheme of improving Gear Island at a cost of about, £70.000 seems at last to be'maturing. At last night's meeting of the board, the secretary of the Harbour Board acknowledged a; letter from tho-River Board requesting, that a deputation might bo received in connection with Mr. Laing-Meason's soheme for works on Hutt River! The writer also stated that the board would bb pleased to meet the deputation' on Thursday, July 22,, at 3 p,m. • • The chairman (Mr r Robert Stevens) rehe felt certain that if the.Har, bourßoafd. would,carry, the, soheme through, the finances could bo easily enough arranged, It would mean a vast increase in population if they had Gear Island covered with, .industries. A freezing company was- looking for ten acres, and they were favourably- Impressed- with"'Gea'r Island;' but; without access," jt was impossible to do.' anything. Thero was -also another application some months-ago for eight aores,' as well as for smaller areas. .•'..' ' .Mr. Orton Stevens: I consider the scheme ;a'little 'premature. They .are business menon the Harbour Board,, and they would'bo 'sure to flatten us out, '. '■ -The chairman; I am sorry to. hear a :memher of the board taking such a pessimistic view. Mr. Orton Stevens:: I am simply giving my opinion that tho scheme is premature. The chairman: Tho Harbour Board should come here; .'. ■Mil Orton Stevens: I think you're wrong, sir. l --. ■ ■ .", ■ j •■' The chairman: I think I am-quite right, Besides, Evans Bay needs a railway, whioh \will .be costly, and ..tho amount of reolama'tion'.needed there is very great. ', . ■ ' '■■ Mr. Bunny :\There maybe a serious obicc/ tion to the. freezing works. I understand it will mean a bpiling-down worltß, It was deoided to reply acoepting the date sug'gestod. by tho board. ':''■' PETONE POLICE COURT; A sitting of /the Petone. Police' Court was held yesterday morning, before Messrs, J, ,W. M'Ewanr W. Inglis, and S, R; Johnson, J.P.'s. Three youths wero, convieted on a charge 6i breaking Mr. J, Powell's window. They were ordered to make the damage, good! ,; A young man named John House appeared in answer to a charge'of attempting to steal a watch, locket, and ring,' the property of John Parrant, at' a dressing-room, while players were engaged at hockey. He was found guilty, and_,fined 405,, in default 14 days', imprisonment. ■ : ., .'•'".; , ,v: BAPTIST CHURCH MISSION. In : connection .with; the mission at the ' Baptist Church,' Petone, a -.- meeting /was 1 held, at *tbe Gear Meat Company in the dinner' hour yesterday. The Rov. T, A. 1 Williams introduced the Rev. J. J. North, who gave an address on "The Heroism' of , Life." At the close, questions were invited! ! A number of tho men-indicated'their inten- . tion of being presont at,tho men's meeting • at the Baptist Church on Friday. On that : day also a second visit is to be paid to the * woollon mills, at the men's invitation. • [ . '■•.. JOTTINGS. ;:. i A meeting of tho Hutt Park Committee > will be held at Lower Hutt on Monday », night. . ',-.'. I .Mr. J. G. Castle, manager of the preserv- ■ irig department at the, Gear Company, was the recipient of -a - piece -of plate from the'employees, the occasion being Mr. and Mrs. Castle's silver "wedding. — -.-■ ■ -To-night's meeting, of the Tramway Board will be interesting, as it is expected that the members will finally decide the system to be.recommended to the ratepayers of the district.'