GEAR ISLAND DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 666, 17 November 1909, Page 7

GEAR ISLAND DISPUTE.

NOW SETTLED. AMALGAMATION OR SOLOMON'S SWORD. Tho recommendation of Commissioner Short on the ; question of the ownership of Gear Island,, at the ihouth of the Hutt. River, has novt been, made known. It is to the effect that neither the petition of tho Hutt Borougli nor that of Petone should be given effect to for 12 nionthS, and if the amalgamation of the twotaoughs hai not been brought about' by %»w?d ,is i to;bo. divided in tho bt-. two-thirdsi Lower Htttt t0 1* e'one. The commission ftttind that the claims, of the two boroughs even, whilst tho- claims of i the P er P«tuation of the .preseiit i etato ot . affairs, which involvos tho S i nl lj icliuig of- a detached strip of coitntv laid ; between borough lands, were not admisr ° t i ab ? ut •f 52 i' er anlnim—the amount of_ the island rales—would have nd matennl effect on the finances, ■ While .no ppkey demanded that the laud should he jointd to n borough, •' the .report, tho evidence and arguments ?L . given 1 in detail."' Ataong £, .Pointed- out that the rate! v lucli could, be levied v;ould be practically tho same whiphever boroufeh. had CoutfoU and that the sustaining of Lower Hutt's. claim'of greater contiguity, docs hot necessarily give that body pr !? r i? n j'\ oh tho , 'an', since I'etone is. as well fitted to provido tho: island with publio y.l'i. es,.an<i has al&i undertaken extensive liabilities in connection with, ihe new.-.pipe, and tralno bndge and approaches thereto, whioh works must bo of . material benefit to the island, .rho arguments; of'Pehme, are, however, outweighed in a' large measure by the preponderating monetary interests of.. Lower .Hutt, and the wishes of the River Board and, . island , tenants, though * tho benefits aocruimj from the operations of.' the Hutt ;« v , er Benrd are aoknowledged, it being allowed that the island has bccu made secure,and valui, , ® e eemrnissioner holds that the board s claim td maintain the status quo is untenable". ■; The- interests of . Lower Hutt ratepayers, it is -maintained, would be in'no way prejudiced even werfe the.whMe island ceded to retone, for the' River Board, Whose ratepayers are tho, same as:,those of, the . Lower Hutt BwoUgh;,,would - still opetdte the island. ' ' ;Great stress is. laid in. the report on the fact that almost all the representative vritiiesses affirmed .the desirability -of amalgahiatioh. The commissioner holds this .to bo tho best; solution Of! the lsliiild difficiiltyi and the scheme must cohimeiid t itself from' v economical and other view-points.' 'But amalgahiation has not yet assuirted .shape definite eiidugh to justify the postponenierit of a of the Gear ■ mncf problem till it Viiall come.to pass. .' -,7 At thb sitting'of the comhiission, Mr. T. T. Martin wid Ml - . R. C. Kirk-appeared on behalf of the Petone. Borough, Mr. 15. P. Bunny on behalf of vthe Hutt River. Board and" tenants, Mr. Blair oh behaif of the Lower-Hutt Borough Council, and Mrr M. W. Welch on behalf of Hutt .County.;' Each party is ordered to pajr Its 'own costs,". :•■ .The■ portion of the island" whioh. under the recominelidntion will bo trahsfefrod to Petone, is practically identical with- the land inadvertently transferred.-SOfflo time ago by prdciaiha-' . tion as' section 9.', It is the part southwahl of a point 11. chains of the line Of .Jhcksan Street, and hhs a capital Value of about Lower HUtt will take the remainder; \fhich-has'tut approximato .capital value' of :.£15,000. ; -,By .the iitoposed adjusttneilt the distrifct lying ■ along thfi Coast solith-ertst of the Hutt Borough'will become cdhtlguo\i§ to Potonfe. Previoiiily the, ratepayers'of this arba promoted il. petition tvith the . of becoiiling a pottion of iPetdno Bot'oUgli, but the fait that Gear Island lay between, preventing compliance with the - contiguity requirements of the Act, rendered tho movement aboi-tiM.' In the event of anialgamatioh not taking; place, this obstacle ■ will now be removed.