HUTT AND PETONE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 578, 5 August 1909, Page 6

HUTT AND PETONE NOTES.

(From Our Special Eeporter.) 6 ; — HUTT VALLEY TRAMWAYS. A POSITION OF "AS YOU WERE." ia It should not bo long now before adi r . finite issue is placed before the Hutt Va , r ley tramway district electors. For over liv ] c months the Tramway Board has been weigl h ing the pros and cons of various system 0 of traction, and three weeks ago it cam (.. to a decision to ask the electors for ai n thority to borrow £102,000 for the purpoE of laying down eleven, and a quarter-mile of track. Over this it was proposed to ru eight electric cars. ' It was estimated thai ou tho first year's working, a loss of abou £5000 would have to be met. Tho boar also decided, at that meeting, to place a smaller, scheme before the people. This eft j cisiqn, however, was found to be impra( ticablo, and Mr. H. Baldwin gave notic ' a to the resolution relating .to i 1 n Thus, at the nest meeting, on Friday weeli 0 it will bo a case of "as you were." Th , whole question will lie open for discussion 1 and it is likely that Mr. Robert Stevens wi g urge the advantages of steam tractiou, bu j it is considered improbable that a motio: in that direction will bo carried. Mr. H. Findlay will move that the large electric scheme, above- referred to, be re commended to tho ratepayers, with sou; ,modifications. The purport--of this motio: a is that the electors be asked to sanctiji t . the larger scheme, hut that tho board pu ; . down only live and a half miles as a firs ,t instalment, and endeavour to- arrange witl a the landowners and tho Government fo h contributions towards extensions. It is ex h pect-ed that ihis motion will be carried. If this course is adopted, some time nius s elapse before the electors will be invited t< sanction or veto the loan, as the decisioi will have to be duly advertised, and publi meetings addressed. Further delay may b caused by an amonding Bill, which it i: intended to placo before Parliament th'ii 1 coming session, to provido for dift'orentia , rating, and to secure an' alteration of tin > present law under which the loan proposa 1 would have to bo carried separately at Hut . and Petone. It is desired to ''pool" thi votes, and to declare the result on the ag gregate voting. . ' _ • i , One matter is of supreme importance Will tho loan be carried ?■ That is tho hurtling question now that the. proposal has ach'iovec I dofiniteness. Opinion is very divided on the > point. ' Some ■consider- that tho present k . not an opportune time to ask the people foi ! so much money, and that it .would be advisablo to wait until the existing depression has to some extent, been replaced by 'oui wonted condition of prosperity. Others point to the Karori loan of £2-7,500, for tramway 1 jnirposes, but it' must be remembered that ' that amount is comparatively small, and the majority in favour of the loan was only' 72. ' The pessimists make reference to the statement that the Hutt Borough requires £12,500 1 to complete certain loan works, and also point to the fact that Petone has just increased its rates. The question will be debated Tory keenly as the date of the poll approaches. Until then who can tell? ; : HUTT BOROUGH AFFAIRS. _ General interest'is still being manifested in the affairs of tho Hutt Borough, but people will welcome the intimation.that in all probability finality will be arrived at on Monday night next, when Councillor Clere's motion to proceed with the remaining portion' of the drainage work by contract and in sections will come up for discussion. . • - ' ■ At last. Monday's meeting, when •evidence was hoard, Councillor Baldwin quoted in . committee a. legal opinion expressed by Mr. T. F. Martin (Municipal Association solicitor) that a schedulo not referred to in tho advertised loan proposal forins no part'in law of such proposal, even though read at the ratepayers' meeting held to consider it. • A QUESTION OF SECESSION. For some time past there have been rumours of the possible secession of the-Wh'are-roa Riding of' the' Hutt Cciu'nty from' tho' parent body and the formation of. a now county. The Whareroa Riding includes tho Paekakariki, Rikiorangi, and Paraparaumu' districts, which are "represented on'the Hutt' County Council by Councillor Lynch. Tho idea of the secessionists is' to combine this riding and certain adjoining portions of the Horowher.ua County into a now district. A mooting has been held at Paraparaumu in furtherance of the project, Mr. W. J. Howell being the chief secession advocate. Councillor. Lynch and the chairman of the Hutt County Council (Mr. W."W. Welch) addressed the ratepayers aaid opposed the proposition. The chairman pointed out that the county overdraft had been reduced from nearly £7000 to £701 in four, years, and that the dissatisfied ones would not gain by tho change. A committee was set up to go into tho question. Speaking to a reporter on the subject, Mr. Welch said that ho did not think that the agitation would result in the severance of the riding from the county. He was satisfied that the arguments .which he adduced were sufficient to convince the people that they, would bo acting wisely in allowing things to remain as at present. ; '..' .JOTTINGS.. The Hutt Borough Council is not the only local body in the Hutt, Valley which finds itself in difficulties on financial questions, for the Hutt Park Committee is holding.a meeting to-night, when a lengthy statement of its financial-position will bo presented The monthly meeting of the Hutt River Board is set down for. this evening.