GEAR ISLAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 625, 30 September 1909, Page 4

GEAR ISLAND.

A. QUESTION OF ABSORPTION, ■■■,;■ , HTJTT AND I'ETONE RIVALRY, . 'Tho commission sot up to "deci'de whoth « ea , r Islaudfat tho mouth of the?Hutt Rive ; , should bo included in tho Petono • Borouinstead of in Hutt County, as at presen v 1 5 P°™fflCßced': its ...sittings . yesterday/ mornii . bafore tho commissioner, Shot ... The Petona Borough -was represented by M Ir li •? 'Mr. Tc P.; Martin,"BKmicipi solicitor, the Hutt Borough by Mr. A. V Blair, < tho Rivor Board and lessees by Mr. 3 •*" : ii' ?S nn -iU Hutt:County; Council W AT £1. W. Welch. Section 10 of the Bolmoi Survey District was recently' gazetted as pa : of . Petono Borough.' '.' The latter borougli no '' e f, lrM T1 Gear Island, Section 9, :ho addei ■■ ;^ un uy said .that'tho.contost was whic ..■y borough should absorb the island. Tho con yiission only purported' to v givo authority i '.(include., : there had been a mi l 'toko in" tho gazetting. Ho contended that ••• the. intention of .tho ! Minister, to ii & of;.th6.;jalaxid-.in ;tho;borou g : - ' tw?te n « u ' °^ anDel * c land proclaime ' of Borough was really a pai 10r A, that, he ,proposed to cohside ; the Pewria Borough" as tlio otlie .. parfacs He,-would .thorefor ' s.tat • mentioned the fact that a par :.V ; r'.: of - the island .was included'in' Petone Borough i: '■ ijf V th ? proolamation -had»npfc;been: revoked _:-j.bat,'-he considered,', iwas-.anv linanswerabl ::.v : argument .;why. \the ..remainder, of •.•"tho'-- iiam should also be included in Petohe, ' Tho Peton was.lengthening: Jackson• Street,':whic] a part of tho-island"already l in Pe v: if 00- Even it_.no part of.the island was in th . borough, the ~fact:., that .tho: -borough: was - com ;Si.-./mitted to : this; expensive - work pointed to' Pe >: ,thq' borough - witli : the greiite's - •: : ,.- aln '' alsoreferred to the convenience' o '&i and 1 ; . lie -v- quoted : letter Mr.■ . G. Xaing-Meason, engi ''' n r i■ tho River./ Board, :, stating-".'.that'>thi ,j plans ; wero held up pending th< . - completion of Jackson Street; This showed-tiii :!aii(dvUi< ■ island,y As to the Hutt Pipo and -Tr'affic'Bri'dgi : i'v^ ; ® eaM ' of^ c se^to'tte':island),5 e^ to ' tte ' :islan d), its imtoffi '"'"ftl S ; i. I ' e ?L r i to •:?6tone".':was' 'f pf £°n£ribntioii •V- ; ' rif„V if is&-°? :Hutt borough i W6325,' and ?>--tls ; th^^l?- y 'addition ic 'S ' - Petono, Borough;paid "dfiClM'ifor"eartL iy^CTiS!,' l ? s by'.Petonc as, against £325 by Jlutt. liv n?i' rk h ? M ., tha , t th °y onght not to bo let K, V"!, individual opinion of any lesseo : • bl given situation should '' WWrni of .'? oton 8 J. WMt-Ewan: ;^atfto.oMy,t(»da"pniie.*ccess;to:ih« unsatisfactory; as: they H' pa f. : conservfttion . ft; f P rk ?« . and jwere mot . recognised. as. roads; Enf» 3 ' < "" m ed>that the:old trestleipiifo , ~ . access -on the eastern -siilo, Vdl '''WKii Aiie •-• "gliding of .the, new. bridge .was 'found neces-. ', \ Y, a 3,,°- tho.initiatiYO of the Pctone ilteough that it was' converted into : a traffic •i- I? ; v ! e W-of the Hntti.Park question, and tho wishes of people in the neighbourhood, .V;' W ' Wamui-o-mata' . residents, : . ,who f desired . .. repjns of. communication .with petono,- it was , uecided to go on with 'the bndgo."'' Hiitt land.'V:;.?,W«rs had,contributed iei7oo to-the work;- but '.fV It » c , < W -Potone's contnbuhon, and the Jlutt Borough and Count 7 !,yvijncils were practically in opposition l to' the :'f- Of- the bridge.- :.The.efifect oii bring:- ~.: i pg: the island.-,.within' about .a- milo of ."the on: by;,moans/of, th? : road would at least doublo its value In regard to %'Statement-that .access to the; di&rnitod : ar& should be included, m tho,Hutt Bdtaui . - : iriJ ™ p y . '^.C%¥!P n3 " rtjfe aQ „ to < the -Gear tffiat an approaoh t>y sea wai tha only pro- ! r • fePM£! 1 ? i ■■ Pctono wouW certainly hare been Hindei water 40 was not prepared to say that the-results *™ a mattttr for an to decide Mr Blair 1 - Would it .have been honest to with the benefits which receive ?- the ; r -will:.be." Some" of 'tho ratepaycra- : ;do' i ; :' ; "?!-.jth l nk..that it will us,'-but'.the couri01L did. 1 In reply to Mr Blair, the witness said that 1 v-Jv;TTOuld/.be advantageous'rif a largefportioniof: , ! i'.? B 8;-ttutt..B°rpugh::becaine a : portibn : :of-Petbne. -that ';an;iihnuiryi from: '■. ilr. -Uuder-Seeretary ' for' the Depart•v. niejit;of,:lntenial 'thiititho .a;"WWusionof ,a:portibh of'.Gear Island in Petona 1 was a mistake vtrjs'iw%' >?' 00 ) 1 " ,? e \one Borough .engineer, eaul that there would be no difficulty in the 'ftsWJ? on water. and- gas ito.Gear.lsla'nd,' : •; and be separately drained. "Gas'could w:^; a^at '-1 r,!r/'-®j :3 a.rstpp-banki in .Petono,: and: in th© Itfateri'was'Tisibl^joutside ,To Mr Bunny Tor drainage, Hutt' muns * on 'u bo against ; the fall of tho gronnd or 'another.: septic;.; tank ..-wbuld.j'have; to : bo ; riX-ereoted,. while ;Petono 'would, gain by:'th'e fall. ; 'MSWater^jpt: Oliver 5|5S an • si 11 .^ 1 , aud;;they.'got'none of (the. over- -. ilow >: . but backwateronlyj'"'' y iS.y -. ,river, .there was practically no population. Tho jwas pausedvby gravitii." ![ tion,;and it would -be sufScient:for Gear Island ; purposes. - • >.■=;'.v.:-.':-vw:-.-".T;-" • oebs , tc l ?l af £d that;ho took .charge ■: the: island' :r ??■' obtained-J.tho: signatures/ v bv :Carey v "both; df-vivhom ''-:® l €? o 4 v^Ulmgly:.;-'and:'knowingly.' - f : :, .. .: 4v W- • — ':the petition -mfrv irr ::,? r ha P"?an;and':'the:Riverside"'i V9 m pauy -(Mr. f : Carey) :were-.. tho ' only ,/,«ertwo».%". i danfctmd.tli«jr:;Bignea-it? • . • ' : :dp:,' n °t :admil>;that.' ? i . Mr. Short: At the time that the petition was • ..-presented..to, Governor, electors? ..' Mr. Bnnny: 'Ihey-were lessees. . , : ' evidence' bSt ° r ' Ct ° no toTO clcrfc ' a ' so 6sto .: . Mr.' Martin: was ' hero; allowed to close his . ■ £^'.. G ?J G P,t: .the calling:.o£. two'witnesses in - Wellington. . " ~ ■ W,if r M Sho^ t ,i ?ta t? <1 . a at it was desirable', to : ... call, Mr.;.; Pollen: in .regard to tho Gazotte ho-;v-.tice,. which referred. to an' "arm *of-itho- riyer " • ../iln\openmg the case-for .tho' defendants, Mr;- : .Bunny asked: ; Was it tho object ov-the -Pctono : - Borough. to .acqiiire territory, or was '.it tho wish ofvthose. vitally .concerned? ../.Gear;lsla'ii'd' "was 1 fc°?S I WMqnire; tb . fls<! . P tally.; "concerned ?■. Gear. Jsland wass '"SEE- by the.River-Board, ; wKich'"! represented /.liopi, ratepayers,;-and, : attempt Vwasltbeing- , made, by tho Potono Borough to forcibly in-' ' r f"de; the Handof .thesp' ..'in'" their. fViß&o.PSkv.lfe.J:subffiittad/'thatVas ■;v'S ] ?^ou,had ; the' ; Viewß ; of ; -those vwho. : ,owned :thev.:land,:-riothihg':'cqHd "b'o' ; Paid on bohaJt of'tllo".Potono ribrqnt;h jC6un-' ; ; ; r Ddiiy^ v' Pany,: it wasvabsurd. to ;.say ' Corrrnany had:; :? .%,P?ption was vp'riserifed;should-have ii-voice', I:l?#^'■■■ te'ho tjiiit' ,;-Mr. -Carey; did- p0t..." ' : section'' ) Contiguity admitted^:..lf tho'^island..'Was' claimed by Pctone on'the score of'tho amount ; spent, : ho would/Jiientioh ;that:.thq";River 'Boa.rd ; /.had. paid. .111 vcom^en's(\^dn'i7i v «c6rihec{fon' 11 i• •4'an«;»\aX«;:H>as' > spendiuc' about .£12,000 in. / embanKmerita;thkt l it :becariiO'' ;VTaluable.:', ..Theii.-Potbße : iwinted :<it;-'rthey :did '• not claim, it .before.: -Somo :day..tho-'."Tlivpf. ' f.«F?.;B«Bht cease to, exist, 1 and tho land irould v become, thor pitporty: oft .the horoUghfto 'which •;lt: belonged. Was, it. fair;' he.asked, that Hutt .Bhqnld pay for it nnd.Petono secure it? '.The . ■ Hutt • and River . .Board - ratepayers the same persons. ' . .. .:„Mr. G. Laing ; Menson,: ougintor. to'tlio. River. ■Board,,.stated,that about.9o acres of Gear Island out of a total.of 113,'haiDbeen made : imfrom floods through the board's protects® works Iho Hutt . Borough could-supply .water, :and ,drainago. just jas .well. nsvPetone, In regard to access, tho Hutt had every facilivv , • could, bo considored a manu- :■ factunng, centro, they would 'havo two' oi- : cellent: : ,Tho,: oxtension'of', Jaekson • Ktreet would bo a,positive drawback and the , eastern ..conncetion could bo 6? • very littlo value. Tio commission adjourned at 5 p.m. until aeit week. >