PETONE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 932, 27 September 1910, Page 9

PETONE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Petone Borough Council was ilield last night, i Tliero were present; The Mayor (Mr. J. AV. . M'-Bwan), and Councillors Short, Harding, Southgate, Brocklebank, liper, Young-, List, Jones, and Trueman. Karly in-the evening a deputation waited on the council from the Petone Municipal Band, with reference to the annual subsidy. The deputation., asked that- the subsidy bo to .£2O, and that the band be given permission. to charge for admission to its concerts. His Worship informed tile deputation that the matter would • receive consideration at the nest meeting, when a motion would •be submitted by Councillor Southgate. , A deputation from the Ambulance Com-: mittee asked the council for assistance to build a shed to house an ambulance van. Mr. Smith, oh behalf of the deputation,. stated that the committee had worked hard to supply Petone with an ambulance, but it seemed an impossibility to raise the extra funds required to house it. Other speakers also ■ supported the. request,- pointing out that, the van-would be the property of the Petone people, and that it was not desirable, in tho interests of, health, to have it kept in livery stables. . On tho motion of 'Councillor. Southgate it was decided to devote the sum of . ,£3O towards the erection of a shed,to house the ambulance van, .the site of tho shed to be at the rear of the municipal buildings. ~ •; -. •The /Inspector-General ~' of Hispitals pointed out that local authorities could delegato. their powers respecting hospital control, to the Hospital Board, under the Hospitals Act, 1909. He asked if the council . were prepared ■to do so to save its responsibilities. Councillor Piper moved that the council do' hot delegate their . powers to the board. This was seconded. After -some discussion, oh this motion. Councillor Short moved , that the council, appoint a delegate to thei conference, and that .the delegate report at the, first counmeeting ..following, the conference, and that Councillor Piper be the delegate. '■ ■ . . '- - ■ .'- Councillor. Piper consented to. withdraw, his motion, but remarked that he \rahed to protest against-the centralisation of authority in Wellington, n The amendment was carried. A letter from the -Commissioner of Crown Lands' acknowledged the council's" letter in reference' to leasing of part of the Domain for Church purposes.' The' commissioner stated that the law' would' not permit of the leasing of domain.lands by domain- boards for. building' purposes. The letter , was received. Another communication from'thi Commissioner. of Crown- Lands -notified the determination of the council's temporary lease of Section ' 10-i, Block ■XIII,. Belmont. The council's action: on' the matter was ; deferred' 1 till, the > next-meeting, the letter to be: referred to tho engineer for report. - ;' An. intimation from ' the Town ■ Clerk, .-Wellington, advised that' the City Council had hot received any communication from ' the Government in. regards to the i new Hutt Road. Neither, had any-.agree-*-m.ent. or understanding been entered. into with the Hutt Road Board concerning the question. Resolved that- thevletter be received and acknowledged. "■ ', ~ . There was,a little discussion on-the let-• ter concerning the council's,liability, but the Mayor stated':he had no fear that the council would be called on to pay a bill of £30,000. Howerver, in view, of what had taken place in Parliament :it would; be necessary for the; council to keep : a stiff back on the .matter;'-. He saw that; the cost.of• the road liad worked out at: about - .6210 a chain. 'The council could have . put' down a good road , for .£2lO a chain and' wood-blocked it, and provided •a tram service.to Wellington,, without, of course, supplying •' the cars. The wholequestion .ofi'the road would.have to begone: into carefully. At the present time* the cost' seemed to. him to be very, very"' extortionate. ■ About half that cost wouldbe enough.. ■

.".At, the close of the; ordinary business/ Councillor Piper ■ said that he- thought that? the conncil should .objcct to the proposed-, discontinuance ' of ! the ■ .early, morning mail, from Petone to Wellington.'. Ho understood ilmt if, the proposed:, alteration came'about the first: mail would not leave Petone for Wellington till 9.40 a.m. Ho moved that .the .council wait on the postal authorities and objeot, ' The motion was - carried.- - .