LOWER HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 142, 11 March 1919, Page 6

LOWER HUTT BOROUGH COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. Tho fortnightly. meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council was held last evening. There were present: His Worship the Mayor, Mr. E. P. Rishworth, and Councillors Clendon, Hobbs, West, Meklmm, Cotton, ICerv, Brassell, and Walton. The 'secretary of the Municipal Association wrote asking for the council's opinion as to whether tho conference should be hold in July as usual or at the close of the Town-Planning Conference in May. On the motion of the Mayor, it was decided to inform the secretary that the council held the opinion that as the delegates at the two conferences would not be the same the usual day of tho conference should be adhered to. The Town Clork, Petono Borough Council, advised that the deputation re workers' weekly tickets, etc., would wait upon the general managed of Railways on Tuesday, March 11. He also advised that his council was prepared to support the Lower Hutt Borough Council in the matter of electrification of the Hutt Railway, ' etc. Mr. J. D. Climie and 23 other ratepayers and residents of Western Hutt, drew attention to the condition of the road and footpath in Marsden Street, and expressed tho opinion that the footpath should be asphalted before the winter sets in.—lt was resolved that Mri Climie and those associated with him be informed that it would not bo possible to asphalt tho footpath this year, but steps would be taken to put it in order as soon as possible. Permission was granted to a local resident, subject to the borough engineer's approval, to erect a movable motor-shed on a portion of White's Line, which has been dedicated, but is not used as a road. The Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote, asking to be furnished with the names and addresses of those (including nurses) who assisted in the last influenza epidemic campaign. The information is to bo supplied. Several parents wrote to the council denying tho impeachment that their sons had been interfering with street lamps, and suggesting i that the council should be more careful of their ..facts before bringing any charge. The Mayor remarked that tho council's easy-going way of allowing the pnrents to sift the matter and correct their children had not been satisfactory. The charges were made apparently by someone who saw the lads, and the lamplighter had some justification for the statement he made in connection with the matter, and as the council's attitude had not been appreciated, the next time an offonce was reported the matter be placed in the hands of the police. Periston was granted the Wessesley Club. Wellington, to use the Recreation Ground on Monday, Maroh 17, for tho purpose of playing a cricket match against (he Eeilding Club. The Borough Engineer (Mr. E. A. Gumbley) reported that tho total quantitv of gas purchased from Petono was 1.109,000 c.f., an increase over the corresponding month of last year of 325,000 c.f. Unaccounted for gas amounted to 11. per cent. j _ The question of measuring and recording the,'quantity of water used in the borough through tho mains has been gone into, dpd the estimated cost of the necessary . apparatus and the installing of same was „C 275. This at first sight miglit seem a i ar g e mm< m ,t „.j len jt was taken into consideration that its installation might at some future 'date save the ratepayers a much larger sum, it was worth considering. The Town Clerk was instructed to look into the question of seeing if there was any money nvailable in the Water Works Loan that could bo used for the purchase of a water motor. The Mayor reported that he had looked into the matter of the River Board's shingle contract and there was nothing calling for immediate attention. The only matter at all likely to be detrimental on tho whole was the amount of shingle to be taken for public works by any ratepayer, and the suggestion was mado that there should be a limit on the amount of royalty so as to* prevent exploiting by any contractor. The No. 2 Committee recommended: (1) That tho Borough Engineer be instructed to. prepare a plnn of a prospective lay-out of that portion of tho Recreation Ground fronting Woburn Road, and submit earao to tho council, together _ with an estimate of the cost of levelling, grassing and planting, and the approximate annual cost of maintenance; (2) that the amount of gas consumed by each user for power purposes for 12 months be ascertained, and in cases where it, is found that the amount of consumption does not yield a sufficient profit to provide interest on the cost of the meter, a charge bo made for tho use of such meter sufficient to provide 10 per cent, per annum on cost thereof. The recommendations were adopted. ■ The question Vas asked by Councillor Mcldrum if it was not time the Peace Celebration Committee got to work. The Mayor replied that a committee had been, formed at a meeting hold some time ago, but very little enthusiasm was shown. A small amount of money had been promised, but so far had not been .supplemented, and , without. support there was very little likelihood of -an effective peace celebration. Councillor Clendon thought the council would be failing in its duty if it did not have 6ome celebration for tho children, and suggested that the committee 6hould meet again. It was decided to leave the arrangements for the meeting in the hands of the Tovfn Clerk, |