SUBURBAN BOROUGHS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 160, 26 March 1918, Page 8

SUBURBAN BOROUGHS

LOWER HUTT COUNCIL Tho Mayor (Mr. H. Baldwin) presided over the meeting of tho Lower IJiitt Borough Council, hold last evening, and thcro were present: Councillors .1. M'Dougiill, W. G. Meldrum, A. Hobbs, W. Walton, H. A. Ward, W. Cotton, J. Bnissell, W. Kerr, and S. G. Clendon.

A letter,was received from tho Prime Minister thanking tlio council for tho resolution advocating the retention of that portion of tho Samoan group taken from Germany. The Minister of Finance- (Sir Joseph Ward) wrote asking the Mayor and council to make a personal appeal and canvass among tho residents of the borough for tho support to tho nine and a half million war loan. It was* decided to reply that the members of the council would do their best to help mak3 the loan a success.

The Petone Borough Council .wrote enclosing tho sum of £1 per bus in accordance with the borough's request, in recognition of the privilege of running its buses in the Lower Hutt borough granted by the council. A letter was received from tho secretary of tho Lower Hutt Volunteer Fire Brigade, thanking the council for the practice tower recently erected on the recreation ground for tho use of the brigade. It was decided to instruct the borough.inspector to insist upon all hedges overlapping on the streets and roads being properly trimmed. The engineer's report dealt with minor matters of repairs to roads and streets. The engineer was authorised to purchase water pipes for laying in Pilmuir Street at an estimated cost of £181 10s.

PETONE

The Petone Borough Council met last evening. There were present the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) and Councillors William Cox, J. Churchhouse, J. Foster, S. Newland, D. M'Kenzie, B. Jones, E. Tovey, C. P. Brocklebank, and J. M'Dougall.' One case of diphtheria was reported in the borough. The Commissioner of Crown Lands intimated that the Department could not accede to the council's suggestion that the auction sale of the sections on the Wilford estate should take place on the settlement itself. The Commissioner pointed out that the experiment of offering tho sections locally at Petone was tried on a previous occasion without any satisfactory result. ' When the formality had been completed of offering the cash sections by auction and of reopening for application the'renewal lease sections they would all remain open for disposal, if not then selected, for a period of six months, during which any demand for the land could be satisfied.

Mr. D. Beddingfield, headmaster of the Petone West School, wrote with regard to the purchase of new books for the local school's circulating library, suggesting that the books be procured as soon as possible. It was decided to place £25 on next year's estimates as a grant towards the fund. An application which was made from the secretary of the 'Workers' Educational Association for a grant towards its funds was received, the council taking no action in the matter. The Reserves Committee reported having conferred with the committee of the Municipal Bowling Club on the question of the date of tho closing of the bowling green for play this season, and it recommended the council to extend tho closing date until the laßt Saturday in April. The recommendation was adopted. ~ Some discussion took place when, pursuant to notice, Councillor M'Kcnzie moved: "That the Government place on tho Statute Book legislation empowering municipalities to have the right to control speeds of vehicular and motor traffic in the streets of their respective districts without interference from law courts. The law needs amending which allows a Magistrate or Judge to declare null and void the by-laws of a town, which the citizens, through the councillors, consider fair and reasonable for the safety of its wbabitants. We ask the. Government to immediately give power to control tnis very important traffic in the direction indicated owing to theincreasmg number'of fatalities, particularly of little children." , Councillor Tovey seconded the motion, which was lost after it had been pointed out that.the motion sought to remove the right of appeal, which would be a very autocratic move on the part' of the council.