PETONE BOROUGH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2772, 16 May 1916, Page 7

PETONE BOROUGH

MEBTING'OF THE COUNCIL. :■ There were present at last evening's meeting of the Petone Borough Council, the Mayor (Mr. J. W. MTilwan), and Councillors List,"'Forsyth, Cox', Brbckleba'nk, Anderson, M'Dougall, M'K'enzie, and Jones.i "■' ' .' The council decided to take steps to. have repairs carried out at a bakery, in, ■the borough. ' The Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board formally ievied the council's apportionment ■ for 1916-17 for £1156."-' The District Health Officer'- forwarded a-certificate of condemnation in regard to "a house in Udy Street. It was decided to notify the owner that 28 'days'would, ba allowed in which to- demolish the building. . It wa3 decided (o inform. Messr3. Munt, Cottrell, and- Co.,' who recently had two lorries plying for hire in the borough, and offered to<.register for one of them, that they would be expected to register both lorries. The Prime Minister acknowledged the receipt of a letter covering a communication from the grocers of Petono regarding tlie 'shortage ,of sugar,, and- stated that the matter would Ive referred to the Board of Trade. The secretary- of" thp .latter body stated that : the board was ■taking immediate, action in this connection. ■ •

, The application of- tho Wellington Rugby tlniou for the.use of tho recreation ground for the Reason on the same terms as 'hitherto was-agreed to. The union stated that it had passed; a resolution that no single man eligible for military service should be allowed to take part in any. competition. It was decided to reduce the ground rental charged to St. David's Association Football Club from JX to £3, per season, and thai: St. David's Hockey Club be charged 2s. G'd.'per' Sat-, urday for a practising ground. ' The borough-solicitor reported that tho Minister of Internal Affairs liad informed, him that the. Hut't Rivor Board,did not intend to proceed with its notion regarding the extension of boundaries. Messrs. Bunny and Ayson forwarded draft agreement with tlie Lower HuttCouncil, re drainage in Wakefield Street. It was resolved that the deed should be executed. , '

Mr. H, Fleet, on behalf of the Koro Koro residents, .forwarded a resolution thanking the'council for supplying tho district with water at a time when it was urgently needed. Tho housing problem was again touched upon, the discussion arising fVom tho .Inspector's report, which stated that owing apparently to increased rents, two families lived in one house in several instances. Tho inspector (Mr. W. 8.. Uough) added that tenants had informed him of increases in routs, and quoted •several cases of the 1 kind. Councillor List stated a case whore a landlord had raised a tenant's rent 2s. per week, and gave as his reason that . the rates had been raised, lipon mating inquiries, it wns found that his rates had been raised 6s. Bd. per year. Councillor List hoped that.publicity would be given to this statement, as the tenants were inclined to blame the council for • indirectly raising the rent, whereas the blame was on tho landlord in many instances. A Fair Rent Bill was suggested by Councillor Cox, who, moved that confirmation of tho ovidenco mentioned by the inspector should bo obtained and forwarded to the member for the district, to assist in bringing a Bill of this kind before Parliament. This was carried. • It was decided to call tho attention of the Hutt ltoad Board of Control to tho fact that motorists were using the cyclo truck. Councillor Cox stated that largo quantities of bottles wero thrown upon tho' track, causing trouble to cyclists. '.It .was agreed, upon Councillor List's motion, Chat no coal should be supplied to anyone for rei ailing purposes. , ' Tho sewerage engineer's report stated that tho total cost of :the work to date had been Is. lid. During the month 37 premises had been connected with, tho sewerage*. Tlio engineer's report dealt with tno usual routine work of tho borough. '