THE HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1350, 30 January 1912, Page 2

THE HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL.

rSPECIAL AND ORDINARY MEETING, A special meeting of tho Lower Hutl llOroujjh -Council was held last night, to ■pass a by-law .relative. to tho oontral of tho vending of ice 'cream, within tha borough. ■ . Those present were: The Mayor (Mr. E. V, Bunny), and "Councillors Ilohbs, 8011, Stevenson, Roots, Cleudon, Kompthorno, Hawthorn,'and ltodgihs; _ ■ The Mayor read the by-law,] which was carried on his motion. -- Tho council then proceeded with tha ordinary meeting. The Ocean Accident Association applied for the council's business in connection with , a fidelity bond. Councillor Ball moved that tho matter, stand over. Ho remarked, that tho State office should bo supported. • '• ' ■ The Mayor said he did not ajree with! Councillor Ball. To go to the Stato for everything meant the squeezing out ■ ' of private companies, and he doubted whether insuring in tho Stato offices v/aa a benefit to tho community. Councillor Ball said that State profit* went to. tho people.. , '.Councillor'Kcmptliorne pointed out thai any surplus in the. Stato office went tq a reserve fund. ' ' Tho letter was received. . ; ; . Mr. W. Blackmail offered his.ser< | vices as a consulting engineer and gas : expert.—lt was resolved to inform Mr. Blackman that the council did not .. require any such aid just now. Tho Wellington Rugby Union applied for the Use'of the recreation ground-for next season, on ''similar forms to tHbso , existing in the past two soasoils. Council- • lor Hodgins was of tbe opinion the prioa should bo raised. It was tho union's own fault that tho receipts were not large, as the.v played all their best matches elsewhere.—lt . was docided to charge., tho union ,£35 for the use of tho recreation ground till tho end of July, 1912. Mr. J. T. Hawthorn was granted a further license for tlio King George The. atre. It was resolved' to mako an attempt to collect the late Tramway Board's rates, whioh have been handed over to tho conn* oil. A letter of thanks is to bo sent to an anonymous donor of books to tho library. . Councillor Ball, it wns agreed, would give a lccturo in tho library ,at an early (late. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Tlio Borough Engineer reported that tha laying of the mains in the eastern drainage, Section 3, has been completed. Tho cost of tho entire work will bo reported next meeting. Parts of Section -1 have been completed. • Good progross is being "mado in Rossiter Avenue, Cj chains of the, roud having been got down to formation level. The cost of labour to date is £23 7s. Bd. No tarring and sanding have been dona this season, owing to tho unsuitable weather. It was resolved to instruct tho engineer to .furnish .a report, with . regard to the" cost'of asphalting the whole of the.borough. • ■' '• • repird to the water-power pump-* ltm station, the report-states that'.considerable trouble- ■ has 1 ' bceii-experienced with tho pumps, tlio valve boxed of which' crack, and have .to .-be' constantlyrepaired. Last , week, neither "A" nor "B". engine was workable, and it was -'-hocesfiaryto couple up "B" 'pump-with J'A" • and-the- service- was -maintained. A , pump basjieen sinco;-satisfactorily repaired, and erery'Uiing.-.j«-.working.HiHs-fuctorily, up: to Six coin.ee- .. tioiis have beon »mado-'vrith«wnter mwn6. making tli6, tbMi:itb' 1 -'diito.-8830.; • St ■-Four'hundred'aiid thirty- permits under tho drainneo. and ;sanitary by-law. have been issued to date.. Reporting on the licensed vehicles in tho borough, the ranger said that some of tho animals could.do with a spell;,particularly thoso in the buses. . RITEII CONTROL. " Tho Mayor then " tho >•> Lorough Council oonsiders tho'' question " of.a-pprooobmg tlio River Board with a view of vesting- tlio powers of tho board \ aud the coritrol of : the Hutt River'within m{ U1 U COUUCiI." ' \. ■' The mover said that it was a matter that was necessary for the reduction of expenditure. Tho question was: Is tho tiiiio ripe for tho council to take over tho board s affairs? If tho motion was '■ carried it Would be nino or ten months " before the matter could bo finally settled, Ihe expenses of two bodies: ?n-.< ■ the one borough were a bijg item. Tho j-P 0 ? ' l ?d done groat work in this •v, district, but it was a question of eeoy, -i Homy. He would not press this matter, ' if there was any opposition from ,the , River Board, but ho did not anticipate ' any opposition from that quarter. "" li.i felt that bis action.-in 'this matter would be, criticised, on' account of Mr. Baldwin's action in-asking certain questions of- the. River "Board." He (Mr. Bunny) "• took if that these questions were a reflection oil him. Ho was vory sorrv to have to-refer to tho personal element, but it appeared as if certain board hiem- • bers thought that his firm was making a, good thing out of-it. Ho M-ould Bay in explanation that there had been a tre- . memlous amount of . legal work to ho done. .As these charges had been made from time to time, it was only fair that they should be cleared up. Ho could not but say that the questions' to' bo asked at the next meeting of tho River Board by Mr.. Baldwin were a personal reflection on himself as a solicitor. He did not care twopenco whether this motion was carried. His only object' was tho interest of the' borough. Councillor Ball, on seconding tho motion, congratulated tho mover. Ho thought tho board's affairs could bo worked economically by the council. Councillor Kcmptliorne asked if Pctono had any jurisdiction in the matter'. ' ' The Mayor replied in tlie negative. Councillor Cleudon would support tho-, motion, provided tliat there would -bo-, no large expenditure in tho upper reaches of the river. . . . ' Councillor Hobbs also supported' tho motion. Councillor Roots said all that could bo doiio'was to hold'a conference between the bodies concerned. Councillor Stevenson was of the 'opinion that they had too many local bodies, and would therefore support the motion. ■[ The Mayor, in'reply, said that tho proposal would prol>ably save from .£2OO to • .£250 a yeai; to the ratepayers, The motion was then carried. The Mayor then moved that the River Board bo advised of the. council's resolution, and subject to their approval tho matter be gono on with. ;; , A CHANGE OF NAME. Councillor Roots moved:—That 'tM names of "Alicetown" and- "To Momi," as applying to-portions of this borough, be "changed," and that in future all that area within the borough ly.ing.betwctm-tho,"' railway.-line and the Hutt River tor'-tjip, south of Railway Avcriuii and extending to Wakefield Street bc-knovcii as' Southern Iluttj-'and ,that the- necessary steps bo immediately taken to give effect to this resolution by special order. Councillor-. Roots all the data required, and asked that tho matter be. hold over.- In tho meantime, -. if a petition was necessary, ho could ; ■ furnish one. .' > It was resolved that the municipal , solicitor's opinion bo obtained. <