THE HUTT ROAD INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 6

THE HUTT ROAD INQUIRY.

DIVIDING THE COST.

THE BASIS OF ASSESSMENT. OPINIONS IN CONFLICT. * Tho cimimifTsinm.T (Mr. W. S. Shortt) wnil.iiiiied his inquiry yesterday as to Jmiv l.lio cost of Him reconstruction of tho Jlult H-oad ought to bo apportioned among llu: ciiiiU'ibulory local bodies. Mr. J. O'rilieii appeared for llio Wellington City Corporal ion, Mr. A. do 1!. Brandon for llio 11 u Li. County, Mr. 'J'. M. Wilford for tho Borough of Onslow, Mr. T. It*. Martin, with Mr. it. C. Kirk, for l'ctono borough, Mr. A. W. lllair for llio borough of l/nver Jlutt, Mr. W. J. Organ for tho borough of Eastbourne, Mr. M. Myers, willi Mr. V. H. Meredith, for tho borough of Miramar, Mr. Martin Luckio for Makara County, Mr. 0. Jerusalem for tho Johnsonvillo town district, Mr. D. M. Fimilay for llio Upper Hutt town district, and Mr. P. S. K. Macasscy for tho Railway Department. Basis of Asscssmont. Tho cross-examination of Mr. W. H. Morton, Oily Engineer, was continued by Mr. T. M. Wilford., Mr. Morton 6aid that tho apportionment of the cost on tho trallio roturns seemed to him to bo very unfair, bccauso tho traiiio might vary considerably in tho fuj.uro. With tho increased usp and improvement of potroi-driveu vehicles, it would bo possible, ho thought, for them to compote successfully with railway traffic. Nor did ho think that tho motor-cars ought all to bo debited to Wellington city, cvon if tiioy all camo from tho caty. 'llio Hutt Road was an inducement to motorists now, but if tho City Council would allow him to make another road as good in tho direction of Seatoun, ho was euro half tho motor traffic would come oil' the Hutt Itoad and go on to the now road. Ho did not agree that motorcar trallio did moro damago to a road than any other form of traffic. At certain seasons a fast-travelling motor-car might disturb tho blinding of a road, but tho pounding of a trotting horse's hoofs on a road caused moro brcakago of tho stone, and more attrition than any kind of motor vehicle. He did not admit that taxablo valuo or population was a fair basis on which to computo the amounts payable. Ho thought the only basis which ought to be taken into _ account was tho benefit, prospective rather than present— for the population of tho Onslow borough would increase much moro rapidly than, the population of tho city in the future—that would accrue to tho districts served by tho road, and to tho pcoplo who wero now and who might in the futuro xeside in thoso districts. A Rotort by Mr. Morton, To Mr. 0. Jerusalem: Ho maintained that the inifrrovment in the Hutt Road would certainly benefit tho town of Johnsonville. Assuming that tho traffic basis of apportionment was fair, he did not think light vehicles should oount as muck as heavy vehicles. And no fair comparison could bo made among vehicles. For instance, ho did not think ten bicyoles wero equal to one dray. Although the Ngahauranga Gorge Road was not in very good order at present it would not always remain so, and when it was improved tho benefit of the Hutt Road improvement would be felt ty Johnsonville.

Mr. Jerusalem pointed out that Johnsonvillo could not improve tho Gorge Road, becauso it was not in tho Johnsonvillo district.

Mr. Morton: Exactly. That's why you want to drag .the city in to pay for these roads. It won't be very long before Wellington city will bo asked to pay for roads from hero to Palmerston North.

To Mr. D. M. Findlay: Invariably tho requests for improved communication between tlio outlying districts and tho centre camo from tho outlying districts, showing that they benefited most by the better roads. The request for better Toads to tho centre was never mado by tho centre. Ho admitted that the outside contributors ought to bo required to pay for potential advantages, and that to make liis computation ho had regard very largely to tho future. Why should tho city of Wellington bo charged with tho cost of developing tho outlying districts? Tlio fact that tho Upper Hutt town could not afford to nay for this expensive development work as it had been dono might be a reason for their getting assistance from the general Government, but not for charging tho city with too largo a share of cost.

To Sir. Organ: Ho did not think Eastbourne would care to bo without tho nutt Road, and ho maintained that Eastbourno would derive benefits at least, as large a 9 Upper Hutt. Ho was prepared to admit at onco that'tho cost tho Hutt Road was nioro than most of tho outlying districts could afford to pay at present.

To Mr. Mcreditli: It would bo unfair to require outlying boroughs to pay for future expansion unless that expansion were tho result of tho benefits received from tho road.

To Mr. Wilford: It was a fact that what all the local bodies were complaining about was tho huge cost of the road, it was generally understood, lie belloved, that the road and tho railway would not cost moi'o tlwin .£IOO,OOO, but ho was satisfied that that: estimato was ridiculously low. The belief when tho Hill was passed was that only about .£2">,000 would bo required from tho local bodies.

To Mr. O'Shea: A conferonco had l>ecn hold concerning tlio Ngahaurnnga Gorgo Road, and the suggestion which gavo riso to tho confcrcnco did not como from tho city, but front Makara County. The Caso'for Petone. Mr. T. F. Martin then proceeded to stato tho case for Petone. Onlyanegligiblo portion of the road was actually in the Petone Borough, and it could not, therefore, bo said of Petone, as of Makarn and Onslow that it was an ordinary district. Petone, at its own expense, maintained the continuation of this arterial road right through their liorough,' along which section traffic passed (o and from Wellington, and from Wellington to Wairarapa. These poinls (hey considered to be equities to be taken into account in considering T'olono's assessment. Referring to Mr. Morton's scheme, he pointed out that Pel ono was the only local body with a factor of three for (he whole area. ITo proposed to call evidence to show that thorp was a considerable amount of hilly land "f low value, nnd also Governmentowned land, which paid no rates, in T'elono. And the borough was very largely self-contained. Ho submitted that in assessing tho traffic, returns, account should be taken of the damage done lo the roads by various kinds of I rathe, and especially by the uiotor-eiirs which canio from Wellington, hi Ihis ih-h- rounlry. having regard lo the fact that there would probablv be a new Governor's warrant nnd a new commission in a few years, 1{ would not be advisable for tlio prc c ent Commission lo look too far inlo the future in considering what tlio prospective benefits might be. Ho submitted that in the computing of the traffic returns Petono should not bo debited with such traffic as was purely pleasure traffic. This was particularly npplicablo lo motor-car and niolor-o.vcin traffic. Tt would suit the Petono liorough very well to accept Mr. Morton's apportion men I, and ho would be very willing to go on board that vessel, but thai; ho had fears that it would go down, 110 preferred to relv on the traffic returns, and lo urgo certain equities in favour of Petone. Tho Previous Commission. Mr. If- C. Kirk supplemented tho remarks of his leader. I'etouo had a mile ami a half of tho road within its boundary, and they had had the road constructed'. 'and t hey had maintained it. at. their owl, expense. Others of (lie local bodies wifli frontages on tho road had had I he road mado for I hem at I lie general expense. " u referred at some length I<} Inruvifliia CommisMou dealing with n mil'lion of Uit Uutt Uoad, ami tho dcri-

sion of tho Commissioner, Mr. ILiseldon, at that time,

The Commissioner said he did not proposo to consider himself bound by tho finding of tho previous Commission, which wits investigating a totally different thing. Mr. O'Shca said that tho city of Wellington had agreed to ft ho legislation undcr which tho llutt Road was re-mado having tho provious Commission before them, and if tho Commissioner was going to disregard it deliberately, the city would havo to appeal to Parliament on tho matter.

Mr. T. M. Wilford Interposed horo to ask Mr. Widdup (Railway Department) Whether tho cost of Westminster Street, at Kaiwarra, a short street leading down, to tho railway station, was infcluded in tho total which tho local bodies wero asked to find. Mr. Widdup replied that it wn-s included. Mr. O'Shca: Wll find out a lot of fhosu tilings when, they havo to 6UO ua for tho money. The Effect of Motors on the Road. Mr. Kirk railed Mr. A. Come, Borough Engineer at Petono. Ho gave evidenco its to tho effect of motor traffic on tho road.s, stating the opinion that a motorcar passing over a road did much more damago than an ordinary horse vehicle. The construction of tho road had not reduced tho freight rates between Wellington and Petono one farthing. The freight and passenger traffic between Wellington and Petono was almost entirety by rail. No signs wore apparent yet of development of tho district consequent on the construction of tho road. In actual fact, tho growth of tho plaoo seemed to havo been arrested, but, of course, he did not attribute this to tho making of the road. Petono would not suffer as a community if tho road wero restored to its former state. Tho Commission ndjournod. until 10 a.m. on Monday.