HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 570, 27 July 1909, Page 7

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(Jroin Our Special Eepoctot.) ./ , '■ PETQNE RATES. . In aoconlanon with notice, Counoillor Short'moved at last flight's meeting of the Potpno. Borough Council:—"That the motion striking a' general rate of 2|tl. in the'- £ be rescinded; naid'that a general rate of 2d. m the ■ £ bo: atruok, together with a uniform sanitary fee of los. per. pan, with such water rates as are necessary." The stated that his action in voting the other way had boon freely critioisod. His would explain, that ho had not favoured the capitalist >to i any degree. Ho did, not sider that ; the largo firmsdoing ' business ,woro r capitalists; that term embraced those 'wto lived..: on unearned increment. If bed to bo considered that if ; a fresh valuation of Jackson Street properties was made,' (t would go down on an average of £10 a foot. (A tounclilor: "More.") Yes, ho thought so too. It was hoped : that the freezing works oompany would come to Petone for a site, and suoh people should not be harassed. The now system would also bo a hardship on tho. Korokoro settlers. A shortage of £618 would have to be. met, and he thought £200 would be'saved by doing away with tlie flre station j £50 would bo saved on the office staff; and ho proposed that £350 be taken from the profits. of; the gasworks ,to make up. this deficiency. Cpujicillor ' Harding' seconded the motioi}. Ho regretted that the. whole coat of' the sanitary Eervioe could not bo placed on tie individual. Still, he thought a. rate of 2Jd. wonld bo necessary. . TJho. Mayor agreed that 2Jd. would be re-1 quired. • ■.--■■■' v. " ..' Councillor Southgate said that as soon as tlie .rate went up tno owners would increase tlio rants. . , '' ■ .

Councillor Jones said that if tho Korokoro people did not pet what thoy paid for' in tho way of a lamtary service, thoy would ask tho Health Department to forco tho council to perform the work.

Tho Mayor remarked that every penny oF rates paid by the Korokoro peoplo had ,been spent in their district, minus 10 per cent, for olorical expenses. Councillor Pipor objected to money being taken from tho gasworks to mako up the deficiency, but ho was decidedly in favour of the reduotion of tho office expenditure. If it was difficult to find tho £200 for the firo station this jear, it would bo doubly hard to'find £400 next year. (The Mayors Hear, hear.) Only £100 had been put towarde a sinking fund on a loan of £21,000 for tho gasworks. If tho motion meroly read the rescinding of the rate of 2jd., ho would support it. The Mayor Hhpnght it was Councillor Short's intention to increase tho water rate, but apparently he did not wish to do this. Ho contended that while the sanitary service was a personal ono, it was also a service to the community, What would happen, he asked, if this question was loft to tho individual,? Tho present system, with all its defects, was a benefit to tho community. If a sewage rate was cbargeablo on vacant lands, then the same prmoiplo applied to tho sanitary rate. Tho general health of tho community was its best asset, and tho hoaltb of l'otono, as shown by offioial figures, was quite as good as any other borough in tho Dominion. Ho roado rof ei once to tho amount ?aid by tho Gear Company, about £23 only. .8 to Jackson Stroot, 'it received a good deal df bonefit that other stioots did not, and, as a Street ownor, he Avas proSared to tako his share. Ten years ago, aokson Street proporty was worth £8 a foot, and now it was worth £30; why, thereroro, should thoy complain ? 'He could see no justification, for the view-point of Ijhe Jack(son Stieet owners. Ho thought tho course adopted the fairest course to follow, The lands which had benefited by tho improvements effected by tho counoU should bear an increase,

Tho quoßtion being raised by Councillor Harding, tho Mayor contradicted a statement made by Councillor Piper that tho council Jim) oxooeded its estimates by £1000. Councillor Piper: Tho balance-sheet showed that the overdraft increased by nearly £1000. Tho Mayor; Wo road'the balance-sheet differently. " Tie motion was lost, only Councillors Short and Harding ypting in its favour. THE PETQNJE RAILWAY BRIDGE, Tho following letter ffom tho General Manacor of the Railway Department was read at last night's mooting of the Potono Borough Council:—"With .reference to your letter'of July .13 urging tnat tho over-bridge at Petone should be extended to meet tho Korokoro Road, I. have .the honour to inform, you that the cost, would bo' about £300, and if your council will provide the necessary funds the work will be put in hand," A councillor: To aid their business? 'Tho Mayor: Evidently thoy think it a municipal matter. Councillor Jones moved that a deputation be sot up to interviow the Minister for Railways onthe matter. Tins wag carried. Counoillor Jones mentioned tliat tho Koro-koro-Maungaraki ratepayers i had communicated with Mr. Wilfc-rd with a view of seeing tlie Minister, and it was decided to combine the deputations. ' .THE GAS AGREEMENT. • The termination of a protracted and very interesting series of negotiations 'was formally announced to the Potono Borough Council last night by tho following crisp and brief note/ - Gus agreement with Hutt Borough ' Council—l have to report completion of the above matter,'and enclose a copy of tho agreement duly executed by the Hutt 0. Kirk, , borough . solicitor, The letter was received. , UNEMPLOYED FUNDS. ' The Potono Working* Men's Club has donated '£10 -10s. to the unemployed 'fund, and offered _ the suggestion that ,tho Borough Council' subsidiso this 'amount and devote the funds towards somo work not provided for in the estimates. At la&t night's meeting of tho council it waa reported that tho foresters had subscribed £3 35., -Druids £3 Ss., the Citizens' Band £7 25., making a total of £23 18a. On the rnqtion of Councillor Colquhoun, seconded by Councillor List, it was decided to subsidise tihis amount £ for £. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) stated in roply to a question that there waa no hope of getting a sub-, sidy from the Charitable Aid Board. Councillor Piper suggested that tho expenditure of the mone'y be deferred until tho Scenery Preservation Society, which was taking steps to conserve the Petone beach, brought down a report, but after discussion it was decided to leavo the disposal of , tho money in the hands of the Mayor and borough engineer. ' : TAITA CEMETERY BOARD. A meetiiig of tho Taita Cemetery Board was.held yesterday afternoon, there being present: Messrs. M, IV. Welch (ohairraan), Judd, Wakehara, Harding, and the Rev. J, T. Nott. • i The question of vesting tho control of the cemetery, in the Hutt Borough Council came up for consideration, and it was resolved to ■send a letter to the threo: local, bodies concerned, tho Hutt' and Potono Borough Councils, and the Hutt County Council, suggesting that tho Hutt Borough Council be tho controlling authority tho cemetery to be managed by a committee to be appointed by tbo threo counoils. ' JOTTINGS. Mr. H. Findlay wroto to tho Petono Borough Council stating that ho had beon requested by the residents of Heretaunga Street to ask the council to fix a lamp and post at the further end. Ho added that tho street itsolf was in a'.shameful' condition. The engineer was instructed to draw up a repoit on tho question. A.caso of scarlet fevor is reported from ! Buick Streot, Petono, and a caso of diphtheria from Korokoro. i The resignation of Mr. D. J. MacAnlay, j barotakor of tho Petono Recreation Ground, was'received at last night's mooting of the ■Borough Council. The resignation' was accepted 'with xcgret. Tho debate between tho Rev. A. Thomson and Mr, W; G. D. Evans, of Potone, on the centralisation of "educational authority, which was to have taken place last night, was adjourned.. ;•."■■ ' '",'.