UPPER HUTT COURTHOUSE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 60, 8 September 1926, Page 6

UPPER HUTT COURTHOUSE

NEED FOR NEW BUILDING.

The Mayor of Upper Hutt (Mr. A. J. M'Curdy). and Councillor W. Greig, recently waited upon Mr. W. H. Field, M.P. (member for the district), and stated the need for a new Courthouse at Upper Hutt, and the acquisition, for a domain, of the Barton's Bush property. This was the course agreed upon at a previous meeting of the council, when attention was drawn to the present inadequate Courthouse and the long negotiations for a new one. After hearing the case presented, Mr. Field arranged interviews with the Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. M'Leod) and the Minister of Justice (the Hon. F. J. Rolleston). Mr. Rolleston gave the deputation a sympathetic hearing, giving his assurance that the requirements of the district would receive careful consideration before next session of Parliament. He undertook to visit the district and make a personal examination of the present building, and at the same time inspect the old blockhouse " at WallaceviUe, in regard to the renovation and upkeep of which the council is" endeavouring to come to an agreement with the Lands and Survey Department. The Minister promised to make the visit on a Saturday, 'afternoon, to be arranged so as to meet as many members of the Borough Council as possible. There was no possible chance of a Bum being placed upon the Supplementary Estimates this session with .which to start the work. The Government had only allocated a comparatively small sum for such works, and the new Courthouse at Hamilton had had to be cut out of the current year's proj gramme of works. | At the interview with the Hon. A. D. M'Leod, the deputation was promised, contingent upon the success of the poll of ratepayers on the matter of Barton's Bush purchase proposals, to place a sum on the. Estimates next session to^ the extent of pound for pound by way of subsidy on the purchase money of the bush portion of the property. Cleared lands would be a sole charge against the locality. The Minister explained that this had been the policy in the assistance to another municipality in acquiring a domain. The portion actually in bush was subsidised pound for pound, but the open and cleared spaces were not subsidised. "It was agreed that now the position with regard to Barton's Bush was known, it would-be as well to have a round-table conference with Messrs. Barton Brothers, and the -Mayor is to arrange for it. It was also decided to write immediately asking the Minister of Justice when hu would pay his visit to' Upper Hutt.