CLAIMED BY TWO BODIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 632, 8 October 1909, Page 5

CLAIMED BY TWO BODIES.

■:j ":.. GEAR ''ISLAND' AND ITS FATE.} _:; : ,: : ■■ COUNSEL-ADDRESS. COMMISSION. . \t _:The commission set up»' : to whether Gear Island (at the mouth, of the Hutt River) should be joined to the Hutt or Peton« Boroughs or rsmnin'in the Hutt Co'uhty,",aa-'.al; "present-' resumed (its sitting yesterday,' before ■ Mr. W; b. Short, commissioner, 'llio evidence-had been cpucludcd the previous day, and co'unsel made then-.-.addresses yesterday.-;", ... ....:.-, ;A, • Why Petohe Should Have It. ' •■ Mr. R. C. Kirk, who appeared for the Potone ?ov r «';„t^ , ii ,C ! l ' ( , si^1 .''"V"« 'might'SetaSS foi gi.uited thut the lslund would not continue p.form 'a part of the Hutt CokjlSor view "the 'River BoSs * a a n y aT a a B nS oln doc°k scheme was.remote, and there' «k?p,r engineers a - dilference, of, onfnion' as' t? ?4' feasbility.. Everything ;pointld Island ,fovc,yeiSenial.'that it..shohid be joineu 10 Petpno,-.'with., which'• t had ntei-cst.".'-',With,Lowe.- Hutt S was'no such .community;of" interest, for Lower Hut was largely a. residential area.'The kev to tlK' future of : the, island -lay in the extension 'of :,fackson Street.;. It was all very well tor witnn ■$ called by.ythe River. Board V' ay means.ot access., provided'at -the -north end wore.;6..fl,c.ent., . The embankment provided wus never.meant-for a roadway, and wouid never answerysuch ;a^ 'purpose,- Tho attitude■; of. the River Board had ;been. inconsistent throughout. Before -the' commission was an nouncPd .they had prepared an elaborate scheme showing Gear, Island,as. an industrial area; now they Wished to.'show, that it would never be more than: an agricultural settle" ment.,,The ; River, Board had Mieeh formed for the purposes .of protecting, the mainland from floods, etc.,-and that might,'have been .con erred on, Gear Island . had been incidental ■. to the; benefits the: ratepavers theniselvesltad derived from their-protective works ; Mr. Short asked what the'dimculty.in tho ivay.of'amalgamation, was.':'; Was'rthere anv personal feeling inytho .way?'- From-what'he S ,?S ;o ,V the - taatter ! no * th<;r e ' would :be ereat difficulty;m saying to which body"<Gear. Island 'shouldybelong.y, If he.thonght 1 that.amalgamation .was, likely in the near future,"heywould hold.dVor his decision;, ..:';' j '.: v ' " Mr. Bunny'remarked that the 'feeling was thatyPetohe had.exchanged a policy'-of amalgamation for one of absorption,: that if Petbne .succeeded in /getting'.control.'.'of VGear ilsla'nd that." would be, another- nail .'in the vcpffin of arrinlgamafion..V V■ . ; v , : ■ •'' ' '.; ;Mr.: Kirk objected to.this, ■ The possession of Gear Island by Petono, would' not dblby amal'gnmation.;-''"-.; In .conclusion he .submitted' thai with > vibvf-; to the best' interests- 'of. local government secHon:,9 should be 1 placed i under the control of'Petone, but failing this,;section 10 as • originally, constituted ■ should. bo placed: in tliat;position.;v,'-' : ,:-'■:;' •■,•;. .',:.':'.''..: .-;

. Thei Caso for the River Board..''."i ■,:'."Mr/'Bunny,- /representing: 'th'p ; 'Hutt. EWer Board, ;asked toitake info /consideration, the '.question.' as :to the encouragement of/Petone's process■ of -'annexation /would not-lead the postponement; of amalgamation.; Ho submitted > tuat' the commissioner, had. to 'look .at .the matter., from three * points, of view:' (1)' 'The interests and wishes of-the owners :',of theisland; (2) the equitable claims of Hutt and Petohe; and (8) tha. interests' of the/public as a- whole.' .In reigard;to';the, first point, he.;stated. that not only ■ tha -Oivners/ : .b'ut'also', the/."lessees,:.were 'much opposed:to being'joined to Petone.; What had' been claimed by Petone to-have been of-benefit : t); the: island ,had;been.done for: the 'benefit of I'etpne alone. -It .was not with ■ the-object of benefiting'; Gear •; Island' that vPetone .proposed ti-Construct ?tho 'bridge; -and.: on 'analysis it would be found that the only expenditure that :jra'i'in any.way. referable to the island was, a snm-.of "about JC2QOO. And; what was- that to .tho great work, which ;tho Eiver .Board- had denb; in protecting and preserying:.the iisland? With/regard' to .the': charges '.of inconsistency 'which > Mr. -Kirk-, had;,preferred against..'.the Eiver.-Board, lie wished to say that, the, Eiver. . Board i "had riot acted until .the • jurisdiction of the island:'was likely to be, disturbed.'. .When this' had-appeared bound ,to take place- they Imdsacted/sp. most Suitable' local btfdy./ Mrrlurir'hh'd laid stress'bn-evi-:dtnea. (given by/Mr. Morton) .to the'effect.that Gear:lsland would ! become"an : industrial area' /and should therefore, be joined to, Petorie. But 'that.time was not yet', and would'.iUSib't-ba time.enough.when .it came for the fesidents.to .' petition • to-be; under: the control '. of the -Petone Borough?; ■<'''■', '■,"••-!■>:■ ;:

/•;:'::; ,u^ ; ,v.'.ThViHutv view;:;.;.;.7:/„j..;-;,;.; Mr..' Blair, ■ speaking, '■ for .the Hutt Borough, submitted that the. arguments used' by. I Mr,. Kirk in: favour of the: control of Gear /Island bvPetonawere only "arguments for' : the' amalgamation' of-the' two boroughs. :When.it camo to the 'question 6f which borough' should con.tro 1 'the : island,-Mr. Kirk said, that iHutfs only. J argument., was',' 1 that,' through ..the''.River "Board, they, had:spent! money.. If, that:.were sn, r petone s. only argument' was i". "We ''-'■ are committed to spending money". He challenged : Mr-Martin'to, produce any.. authority,j for- the contention.that,' where.the petitioners were;not represented, and where, moreover, they. withdrew- any .support .they; had-: ever given, petition: was; ever given' effect' to. ;• Touching 'oh'the Eiver Boards scheme for making Gear Island an: industrial, : area, Mr.- Blair contended that they could not (as Mr. Kirk had done) 'take; one ,part, of- the scheme—the subdivision and rbading-withbut'taking the other' part, the mean's:of'access by canal. ' •'•';•', ■.: ;-, ... Mr. -.Martin, who. spoke on behalf of-.Petone Eorbugliisaid that becausoof the construction of the bridge there, would :be a'.grea.t .increase of traffic along :the':Petone roads from: the■Eastern'Hutt, and this .should be -taken into : consideration when deciding who' should have the rating/power ,bf/the'East district/ '■ The legal obstacles'which Mr. Blair and Mr.Bunny had endcayoured ,to show as being-in the.way ,were. : not 'real./for'the section;of-.the-statute which they quoted was'framed to'facilitate;the amalgamation and' absorption, of the}.smaller 'local .bodies./'"' '/ ..'.,,.-.' /.' •:'• '•■ Mr..'Blair and Mr/Bunny.replied;to:,certain questions raised by.Mr.:Martin, and the com-'missionerihtimated-thatjho would go"into the /matter■ and; prepare a.report .for/presentation 'tu'tho 'Governor.'";./■-,■• : - ;::/': .:.:': •'.•",:•;.