LOWER HUTT AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 50, 23 November 1926, Page 3

LOWER HUTT AFFAIRS

MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council was held last night, the- Mayot, Air. W. T. Strand, presiding. Other councillors present were: Messrs. A. Mcßain, W. Meldrum, H. G. Teagle, L. T. Watkins, J Mitchell, A. Grierson, 11. J. Hobbs and E. W. Hunt.

It was decided to support’the Lower Hutt Business-men’s Association in their request to the Post and Tcle•graph Department for the installation of a slot telephone to the local exchange, and to be erected in the vicinity of the post office It was agreed to support Sir. H. Ingram in his appeal to the recently appointed Motor Omnibus Appeal Board against the decision of the City Council in refusing him a license to conduct a bus service between Wellington and the Hutt.

Opportunity was taken by Councillor Watkins to present the Royal Horticultural bronze medal to the council for their display of excellent flowers from the civic gardens which were so highly admired when on exhibit at the Lower Hutt Flower Show recently.

Discussing the proposed new municipal offices in the borough, the Mayor said he thought the time had arrived when the work should be gone ahead with. He stated that for the size of the borottgn, the present building was not what it should be, and at times councillors did not like taking visitors through the chambers owing to various shortcomings of the rooms. Councillor H. G. Teagle said the present municipal offices were a disgrace to the borough. Even in some very small country towns he had visited the municipal offices were buildings to be proud of. Whereas in a fine place like Lower Hutt the offices were just the opposite. He suggested that the work was urgent and should be gone ahead with. Councillor Hobbs suggested that as he thought the Lower Hutt Borough and I’etone Council would have joined up in about 18 months, the erection ol the offices could wait. He did not tmnk the work so urgent as to require immediate attention.

After further discussion it was decided to adopt the principle of the Estate Committee’s recommendation, a proposal covering the erection of the office portion of the proposed new Town Hall and municipal office, the plans to make provision tor the erection of a hall at a later date The Estate Committee’s recommendation to take a loan poll for £20,000 for street widening purposes was adopted. The system understood to be adopted is that of purchasing the whole of any property that may be required for widening, the carrying out of the necessarv function work, and the selling of the balance of the land. It is thought that the loan which will be practically self-supporting will be the means of not onlv improving the borough greatly, but’ at the same time . minimising the danger of street accidents.