PETONE BOROUGH COUNCIL,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1659, 28 January 1913, Page 8

PETONE BOROUGH COUNCIL,

The usual general meeting of the Petone Borough Council was , held in the local chambers -last.-^evening."----The .-following •were .TBS"' 1 M'Ewan), and Councillors Cox, Brocklebank, Wakeham, List, Shortt, and Trueman. ' ' e - - , . '■ ." . <■'

A letter was received from the Hamilton Borough Council, stating that there ; was a difference of opinion, in Hamilton'as to the advantages-to be derived from the establishment of a fire board, and asking the council's opinion as to the working of tho system.—lt was decided that a reply bo sent stating that Petone had found the fire board system to bo a more efficient servifce, but that tho expense was naturally greater. '

The Wellington Amateur Photographic Society wrote asking for permission for the members to visit the.Koro ICoro Reserve on Saturday, February 8, and should tho weather be wet, asking to . havo the permit made available for the following Saturday.—Granted. The Hutt Park Committee wrote applying for the balance of the council's contribution to,,the fund.l of tho committeo for the current' year, the balance being •C2s.—Tlio amount was passed for payment. . ' ■

The Lower Hutt. Borough Engineer wrote inquiring if the council would make . a .substantial- .reduction in the charge per gallon if Hutt took delivery of tar in the winter of a'quantity.up to, Bay; 7000 or 8000 gallons, and asking tho council to give this proposition favourable consideration at an early dato, so that he oould get an' amount put on his estimates to make storage.—Referred to the .borough engineer and the gas manager for report. A letter,was received from the Minister for-Railways re Sunday;, trains,, stating that passengers north of Lower Hutt preferred that no alteration ■ should be made in tho present departure time of the 8.50 a.m. train from Upper Hutt, arid Minting out that passengers from'Hutt line are able to get to Plimmerton by tho 2 p.m. train if they so desire. He.was of (.pinion that any alteration in' the departure timo of the 8.14 p.m. train from Wellington and the 8.49 p.m. train from Petone would meet with disapprobation from the general users of the train. He regretted, therefore, that the existing arrangements oould not be disturbed. A second letter was received Jrom the Minister for Railways roth 6 Wairarapai train, stating that Petone was already Very well served by the present train services, and intending passengers should have no difficulty in proceeding to Lower Hutt, which was little over a mile distant, in order to join tho train for the Wairarapa. / If additional stops were made, the Department would iiriruediately be inundated with complaints from long-distance passengers. After giving the matter careful consideration, he regretted that no alteration could be. made. The . council resolved to leave the matter in the hands of tho Mayor and Town Clerk in Order that they might see the Minister. !

There was a 6hort discussion upon the present position of the proposed tram'ways. The Mayor moved that, with a view to discover tho present position, the borough solicitors make inquiries. from the syndicate regarding tho continuance of the tramways in tho district. Councillor- Sliortt remarked that they had had a clause inserted in tho' agreement, to the effect that a penalty of .£2OO be imposed if the work was not started in twelve months, and ho wished to know why the council had not imposed this penalty.. . .. v . ' The Mayor explained that as the agreement was not signed by the council they were unable to collect tho .£2OO mentioned.

■ Councillor Brocklebank moved that, as the present council would soon go out of office, they could not go, into the matter, and that the committee set up before to deal with tho matter be dismissed.

'This was lost, and tho Mayor's motion carried.

Tho Recreation Ground Committee reported as follows:—(1) That tho football clubs in Petone had been communicated with. (2) That the St, David's Association Football' Clulx' bo allotted No. 4 Ground (upon tho same terms as Inst year, (3) That the committee bo granted an extension of time in which to report upon the allocation of the remaining grounds. (4) That the committee had instructed the engineer to improvo tho grounds over the stop-bank, by putting in sumps and topdressing, and rolling the grounds. Tho council referred tho second clause bock to the committee for further consideration in order that they might go into tho matter more fully and allot the other grounds ns well.