LOWER HUTT STOP BANKS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1087, 28 March 1911, Page 2

LOWER HUTT STOP BANKS.

| A RECREATION GEOUND OR NOT. Recently a majority of the members of the Ilutt River Board decided that the ground partly reclaimed and hold by tlie stop-baiiK works at the Hutt should bo made available to the public as a recreation ground, and set aside a sum of money to make it so available. Objection has been taken to this procedure by Mr. Robert Orr of tho Lower Hutt, who Ims written to the Attorney-General calling his attention to the course the board lias taken and asserting that the spending of the money (JC27) 111 making facilities for the public to enter the grounds is beyond the authority, conveyed to the Board by law;. Ho iias asked that the money so voted bo surcharged to those who voted for the resolution— Messrs. Robert Stevens (chairman), F. J. Pinny, and T. A. Peterkin. The chairman of the board, having been supplied with a copy of the letter, has also written to the Auditor-General in reply to the points mado by Mr. Orr. He contradicts a statement by. Mr, Orr that "in 110 case has the board taken the fee simple of the land 011 which tlio stop-banks aro erected." He submits that there is nothing whatever in tho Eiver Boards Act, ISBI, and its amendments to prevent Eiver Boards spending trifling' sums of money, where such expenditure facilitates tho getting to and fro of tho board's own workmen and giving tlie people the use of the' stop-banks, whoso property they are. "The fee simple of 100 acres of Gear Island," ho continues, "absolutely belongs to the ratepayers of tho Ilutt River District, and as several miles of stop-bank lie seawards from (be Hutt Bridge, I have been asked frequently why the ratepayers should be debarred any longer from enjoying these lovely stretches of river scenery. I do not. see why they should, and neither do Messrs. Peterkin and Pinny, and hence our action. The Attor-ney-General has recently given a very lucid and •exhaustive definition of (lie aims and objects of the democracy of this Bominion, of which ho is one of the shining lights, as generally 'access to opportunity.' and as (he river stnn-banlts are now thoroughly consolidated by the wear and tear of twelve years, we do not see why (he people, who have willinelv shouldered (lie responsibility of .£47.000, should not have (he gratification of viewing their own properly. I should add that the Eiver Hoard has made certain conditions and we do not Mipvp that the peonle are Goths and Vandals lo wantonly destroy nropertv. We do not anticipate that this privilege will ever have to be withdrawn."