HUTT COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2129, 22 April 1914, Page 5

HUTT COUNCIL

STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVES

The Lower Hutt Borough Council met last night. There were present: The Mayor (Mr. E. P. Bunny), Dr. Purdy, Councillors A. J. Hobbs, J. Ball, A. D. Parsonage, S. Clendon, H. J£. Kempthorne, W. G. Meldrum, and M. J. Hodgins. • Tho . Petroleum Inspector (Mr.- J. Gardner') reported 011 the storage of petroleum and explosives in tho various business places in the borough. With regard to tho storage of explosives, which was done by some of tho dealers, he did not think that the council had any power to deal. Part 1 of the Explosives and Dangerous. Goods Act, 1908,- ho thought, could only be administered by the' Minister of Customs or other member of the Cabinet. The administration of Part"2'of-the.Act, dealing with specially dangerous goods and petroleum, was vested "in local authorities, but tho goods defined as "specially dangerous" within the meaning of the Act, in Section 19, were nitroglycerine or glonoino oil. At tho same time Jio had 110 doubt that dealers who had explosives for salo would accede any reasonable request by tho council to render their premises more safe in case of fire, both for themselves, the fire brigade, and the general public. Ho suggested that two farms should be requested to build a small brick or concrete chamber, provided with an iron door, in which to store their blasting powder and gelignite. In his opinion explosives would be safer in a place in which great care had to be exercised in regard to naked lights than in ■ a building where no special care or precautions were taken.

Cas Maintenance. The engineer (Mr. W. J. Roche) submitted a report on the question of gas maintenance for consumers. The majority of complaints from consumers, he said, wero usually duo to defects in their burners and fittings, but, unfortunately, in the borough, owing partly to bad workmanship in tho past, but largely to subsidence duo to the cutting of sewer and other trenches in bad ground, an unduly largo proportion of the complaints raado wero undoubtedly owing to defects in tho mains in the streets. As considerable lengths of those mains had been regraded and rejoined, and .the largest pipe carricd to a much greater distance along the Main ltoad, it was certaih that this source of trouble was now almost entirely eliminated. . To. give satisfaction to consumers whoso fittings were defective, tho council would have to remedy the defects by their own staff. Tho engineer advocated the Petone system for discount day for accounts, this being fourteen days after tho reading of tho meter. A gas installation maintenance scheme, as in operation in Petone, was .also reported favourably upon.

Engineer's Report. Tho engineer reported that work-was being continued on tho gas main on tho Main Road. Tho six-inch gas main to King's Road had cost a further sum of £18 19s. Gd., making tho total to date £574 15s. 4d. The cstimato for tho whole was £611 12s. Cd. Tho main was being continued from King's Road towards the V.I.C. Tho rolling of .the Main Road was reported on. Tho cost to dato was £96 2s. 10d., working out at a cost of 6.64 d. per square yard. It had been found necessary to put on from eight to ten inches of metal in places.

A list of ten premises not connected with the sewer were given. Tbo total permits to date wero 849.

A dangerous corner on tho Lowr.v Bay Road, near Butler's farm, was reported on, the improvements suggested to cost £30.

Other Matters, A letter was received from the Miramar Borough Council, with reference to the Hospital and Charitable Aid levy, pointing gut tho eMail amouni recovered from patients at tho Hospital. It was asked whether the council intended taking any steps in tho matter.—lt was decided to reply that tho Lower Hutt Borough Council was not prepared to initiate any scheme at the present time, but was prepared to consider any proposal made by the Miramar Council.

The secretary of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce wrote, suggesting that a conference of delegates of local bodies and tho Chamber of Commerce should be held in Wellington, to consider questions affecting the interests of the trade and conimerco of Wellington, aud asking the council to appoint delegates to be presont thereat.—The Mayor and Councillors Kempthornc and Hodgins were appointed delegates fronr the council.

The Health Inspector reported a case of scarlet fever in the borough.