A GALA DAY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1996, 2 March 1914, Page 8

A GALA DAY

ATUPPER HUTT. THE NEW WATERWORKS Saturday was a gala day in the township qf Upper Hutt. Tho celebrations were to mark tho institution of a water supply for tho-town, ana. tlie official turning-on of the water. This ceremony was performed by the Hoj. A. L. Herdman in tho afternoon, Ifut thoro were several other functions throughout the day. When the visitors arrived shortly after 1 o'clock they were entertained at luncheon, by tlie Town Board and tho citizens. Luncheon over, the party was driven out to Akatarawa in motorcars, and most of the''visitors'climbcd tho hill to the reservoir. After this came tho publio ceremony in the main streot of Upper Hutt, and then tho visitors were again taken for a drive round the district and shown tlie places of historical interest, of which there are several in the near vicinity Of the town. In the evening there was a dinner, and after that 1 a citizens' ball. The programme made up such a round of festivities the people of-Upper Hutt have probably never before known in their town on any one day.The guests of honour were .the Hon. A. L. Herdman and Mrs. Herdman. Other visitors were: The Hon. Dr. Pomare, Mr. T. M. Wilford, member for tho district,' Mr. J. P. Luke (Mayor), and Councillors Fitzgerald, representing Wellington City; Sir. E. P. Bunny, Mayor of Lower Hutt; Mr. W. Welch (chairman), and Councillor Howell, representing Hutt County Councilj and Mr. C. Cathie, Mayor of Karori. Apologies were received from the Hon. W. Eraser and from the Mayors of the other boroughs round about Wellington. At tlie afternoon ceremony , tho entire population of the town appeared to be present, including' a very large proportion of healthy and remarkably well-behaved school children'. The Mission Boys' Band from Wellington .was there to provide the music, without which no public assemblage can be quite satisfactory for very . long, .'and of courso the children were very much interested in' the boys' band. The ceremony was held in tlie main street adjacent to the open space where the old Criterion Hotel once stood,' and where' now stands probably the finest oak tree in the whole Dominion.

Mr. R. H. Webb, oliairman of the Town Board, welcomed the visitors and called upon Mr. Herdman, the Minister lii charge of the Department which had lent the money to the board with which the waterworks had been built, to perform the. opening ceremony. ,^ e .. Hon. A.. L. Herdman thanked the. people' of Upper Hutt for the very cordial welcome extended' to himself and all the other visitors, and for the' excellent arrangements 1 made for them by. which they had been enabled to see the district. As Minister in chrage of the Public Tru3t . Officer which had lent fI.OOO to tho Upper Hutt Town B.oard for the purpose of constructing tho was, lie 's&id, very miich interested in the undertaking. He had been informed by the' engineer that £10,500 had been expended in tlie work up till the present, and also that the •money had been well spent and the work well done.. He had been told that tlio water would be used by about 1000 people, but that the water supply was sufficient for .at least 5000 people. He hoped the progress of the district would be rapid,'and that_ before long there would be a population of 5000 to use the , water. He commented upon the fact that very great changes had taken place in the district in the'ldst'4o years'. 1 •Even very recently the district had been unable to sustain a drought of 14 days. He "congratulated the people, of Upper Hutt on having made such progress, and especially on having led in from the hills a good and plentiful water supply. ,

Mr. Herdman then turned On the tap at the hydrant,' and through a length of fire: horse the water was thrown well over _.the big oak tree, much higher, •that is, to say, than any building at all likely to be erected in Upper Hutt for vpry many _ years. Tlie jet of water, .dispersing into crystal spray, made a beautiful display, in the bright sunlight, forming, as it did, a very distinct rainbow against the green background of 'tile, oak.. The turning-on of the water was marked by seasonable cheering. Mr. T. M. Wilford welcomed tlie Minister to his electorate, and said ho hoped their visit would impress them with tho possibilities of the district for development.

Mr. J. P. Luke and the Hon. Dr. Pomare also /made short speeches, congratulating the people of Upper Hutt. on their successful enterprise.

More cheers brought the ceremony to an end, and, as before stated,'' the party at once set out on a motor drive round .the district!