HUTT AND PETONE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 623, 28 September 1909, Page 6

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS

- ' (Trom Our Sneclal EeporUr.l ■",•'.■'■ '■ ''' ■•; ,■ • l *; '~ '.■ "a financial report. Tho following financial report was Tead at last nighfs meeting of the Hutt Borough Council:—Summary of balances 'at 23rd: September, 1908.—District fund accounts— Ganeral account, debit, 13s. Gd.; gas general account' debit, .0478 Os. Id.; library'account, debit, £51 os. Id.; trust account, credit, £1220-;ls.-Bd.; contractor's doposits account, credit, £30; interest account, credit, £615 12s. 5d.; total, JE1904 Us. Id.;, amount of overdraft, £7413 13s. 7d. Loan .accounts.—Gas loan—Kxed deposit, £500; . current. account, .£2BB 9s. 2d.; total,.. .£783 9s.- 2d. £52,000 loandrainage portion—£22lo 15s. '9d.; Everest , a Creek .£100; balance at bank, £2327 3s. 7d.; less outstanding ■ cheque, £16 7s. IOd. ; balance, £2310 15s. 9d.' The'town clerk directs the council's attention to the fact that there is only £2210 15s. 9d; remaining to the credit of the drainage portion' of. tho .£52,000 loan. : Statement ,of rates collected.—General, £1605 ' 12s. Bd.; interest, £577'75.; water, £251 9s. lid.; total; £2137 9s. 7d. ' . . ' . ■ The report was received.;' .; StTEPACE ■: DRAINAGE CONNECTIONS. As instructed by the Hutt Borough Council, tho engineer reported on tho' question of surface drainage connections a3 follows:—The matter of 'laying drain connections up to the boundaries, of was raised in August, 1905, .when the Mayor gave notice to move at the next meeting: That in future all connections; with existing pipe drains be put in by the council at its own expense up to the side line of streets." This motion was duly considered on August 28, 1905, and I received .instructions from the Mayor that the side" connections wero to be put in up to the boundaries at the expenso pi tho ■ council. Since that time I' find that' only two connections have been charged for, one early in October, 1805, and one at Blackbriuge, April 1906."Since' September, 1905, the council have put in all connections to the boundaries of the property. The cost of the work in 1906-7 was £87.135.; 1907-8, £89 10s. 6d; 1908-9, £20 10s. In 1908-9 I put a sum of £2100 in ray annual' estimates for; drainage connectiotis. This amount the council' cut down to £50. I 'would also state that in estimates for surface drainage submitted to the council, I have always allowed ■ for taking the pipes to the boundaries. : . ; ■ Tho Mayor remarked that no provision had been made for the ■ current year. ■' : Councillor Macaskill moved that the council continue to make .the connections to the .boundaries. ; ■ " . v - •„;.'■ ; , After discussion, Councillor Baldwin moved that Messrs. Judd'and Carlson's i applications be agreed to, and that no further connections be made; except "at the owners^: expense. jPETONE:;GAS:,.SOME, COMPLAINTS. The; Petpno B6rough : Council last evening received!from' the Hutt. borough clerk a letter complaining of the pressuro of the'gas supply oh : September 9. Ho also forwarded' a letter .from Jtr.' W. J.' Harrisj' hairdresser, of. Hutt Town, Hall Buildings, who stated- that unless ;the,' gas' improved he would; be, compelled "to uso other means of lighting his .saloon. '■ He had had his meter examined, and it was found to be in'good order. V- ■-~. . T ' Councillor Fouthgato:-Did he examine hia ■ m 'n n tie«? •■■ . ■ , : ;■ -, : ..;...:;•■, '.■ .-■■ , Councillor, Short: I think there is .something wrong witK the Hutt eupply. The light is not nearly as good as ,at Petone. ;..-'. :'" ' Tho Mayor observed that.ho had been several, times in Hutt, ■ and thought the light, very good." ■- I','- ■'.•■': . ■"' :" s '■:' -■•-■ .-. •' A -' Councillor Short: I have been in Hutt several- times when you could not talk soup from dessert; (Laughter.) The letter,' was ', referred to the engineer. to report to the next meeting. >

. THE QOVEENMENT AS LAND-OWNEB,, ■ '?etone; Borough Councillors last evening emphasised the'fact that, bad as. the Maoris are U6 land-ownere, the Gbvernment is worse. The discussion-which: elicited-this expression of opinion was. produced by the':reading by the Mayor of a cucular letter from the Northern Land : lieague, urging the: necessity for the more sjeeay settlement of, Maori lands. '• '. Councillor Short suggested that the circular should be'taken as read. 1 It was, .he said, a political -matter, and the Petone Council was not a. political body. The. question was one for the:Hon; •Mr;--earroll. ■ .. .. ' :'' ■'■>■: The Mayor,'.(Mr.- M'Ewan) hopeH :that this would.not be' Councillor Short , s attitude when ■the question of rates' canie up. ■■ . . , , : Councillor Short: Ah, when I get into Earliathent.—(Laughter.) >. ;'■■■'■.'■ \ i .Councillor Piper: Why blame' the Maoris? ffhei Government itself will neyor clear gorse in this district, nor pay rates, nor fence, nor .do. nothing. . .', : ■ •'..'•':. ':. The Mayor: I.blame both. .' :, : -~ ;■■ Councillor Piper: ft is childish to hold the Maori up to' blame, and let the Government go uncondemned. The league had better tacklo ttie'Government. "From whom does the circular eriamatof;,:'.-""-■, ■'•; ;" '■ . ■, '■ '■-..:' TheMaybf replied that it appeared to come from:. Hokianga. ■■•'.. ■:-'( : .-..: r. ...... ■. ... . ■ : On the motion of Councillor Sh'ort, sec-, pnded by Councillor Piper, tho > circular. was referred to the member of Parliament for the . : .'■'.-;■' ',■;. ; : •'.'.. ■'■. ■„■. ~,--,, ■:■■':..'.]■ !';>■" jottings,,- ' .'. '■■'.'■. -■; The commission set up to decide tiie .Gear Island 'question moots at Petono to-morrovr morning. It will be presided over by Mr. W. S. Short,: of. -the:; Jttada Department. The ■Hutt Borough' Council is being -'represented :by'?Mr;; Blair;- : :: ; '''--'• ■. ;: . ■' :■'-. ,- •• ■' : Kesidents of Downing. Street, 'Hutt/''com', plained at last pighfs meeting of the council of the nuisance caused; by ewrm water, and asked. that they be connected with the drainage. The letter was referred to .the. engineer to report on the cost of constructing a drain. Mr. G. H;. Macley, of the Invbrcargiir railway ;staff, is paying a, visit to,,Petono. ■'-. ,Korokoro is to have , two kerosene lamps in principal .street. The Petone' 'Borough Counpil last evening passed'resolutions to place a terosenelamp at the post office and another, at the school. , ' A snggestionC. of Councillor Jones .that ,th'e positions -of-the .lamps'- should be-referred to a meeting of .Kbrokoro.ratepay. ers ito Ibe held .to-morrow • was ■ not '.accepted. '/With a view to keeping'young men'in employmentl for tho next two months (afterwhioh private employment is expeotedto be.plentiiul), the,Petone Council.last evening, on the suggestion of the Mayor, authorised the onginoer to employ up to ten men for. two months at stone-breaking.' ■'■'..