GEAR ISLAND

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8358, 19 February 1913, Page 8

GEAR ISLAND

DISPOSAL FOR RATING DEPUTATION TO HON. H. D. BELL. PROBABLE NEW COMMISSION. Old-standing questions in regard to the disposal of Gear Island for rating purposes among local authorities of the Hutt Valley were discussed by a deputation which waited on the Minister of internal Adairs (Hon. li. D. Bell) yesterday afternoon. Mr J. W. McEwan, Mayor of Petone, said that Petone only asked that die recommendation of the commissioner appointed by the late Governmeht to inquire into the matter should iio given sheet to. it was nearly lour years since the matter cropped up, and it 'was aoout time some settlement was reached. Me understood that some opposition was sfloivu to Mr ohort’s recommendation . Mr Hell: i understand you are asking, not for the north part of the island, but only for that part which Mr short said should ’be the property of He tone. Mr McEwan: That is so. It is the south part that we desire to bo included. Mr E. P. Bunny, Mayor of Hutt, said that the proposal of Be tone borough to annex Gear island had always met with strenuous opposition. The Act distinctly stated that only in the case of land reclaimed from the sea, or an area where there were no electors, could a proclamation be issued vesting that land in the borough. Practically all who signed the petition praying for inclusion had witndrawn when the matter came before Mr Short. There was not a single elector on Gear Island who did not strenuously oppose inclusion. One elector would have to pay double general rates. The Petone borough had dilly-dallied with the question ; the report was made in 1909, and two years elapsed before they approached the Hon. D. Buddo, who decided that the time was inopportune for giving effect to their wishes. The tenants of the land, the Hutt County Council, and the River Board, all opposed the suggestion. Mr H. D. Atkinson said that the Hutt County Council contributed to the bridge. Mr Bell: I don’t think your contribution had any relation to Gear Island. . Mr Baldwin (River Board) said that as owners of the land they did not want to be disturbed. It was curious that the petitioners on a former occasion did not appear when the petition was “to bo heard. Mr Bell: They had a solicitor appearing for- them. A lady present, one of the tenants, stated: “We want to remain as we are; we don’t want to pay any extra rates.” Mr R. C. Kirk said he was impressed with the thoroughness of Mr Short’s report. The public interest should be considered, not necessarily the interests of a few. Petone had contributed £7OOO to the formation of approaching roads and the bridge, against a total contribution of £t>Xo by the Hutt Borough. The Government. should place reliance on Mr Short’s judgment, and unless something very exceptional cropped up, it was not to be expected that the Government would depart from the recommendation ■of the commissioner, who said that if no. amalgamation took place in twelve months the southern part of the island should be put into Petone. MINISTER’S REPLY. The Minister, in reply, said that the commissioner had stated that the broad phase of the subject matter had not been dealt with in the arguments put. before him; and further, he considered it was a matter of the greatest importance to Petone. The commissioner was of opinion that what really moved the Petone borough to interest was that the law did not permit extension of the borough except along its own boundary. So long as Gear Island lay on the margin of the borough, and separate from the land served by the bridge, it could not be added to Petone borough. He (Mr Short) was further of opinion that the principal object of Petone borough was that in that way the borough might become contiguous with the eastern boundary of Hutt. “Supposing 1 take the view of the commissioner, 1 must also take the commissioner’s reasons, and that as a reason is obviously one in which Hutt borough is gravely and seriously concerned. The present Government has as much confidence in Mr Short’s judgment as any previous; Government, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that in this matter he dealt with it as Solomon did with the babe. If we were to start carving boroughs, we should put Gear Island into one borough or the other.” He (Mr Beil) was not prepared to be guided by Mr Short’s previous report as conclusive, as it was necessary to consider the construction of the bridge. He was inclined to have a commission, in view of the new state of things, to advise his Excellency on this matter. He conceived that the report was made without the same apparent circumstances as tb-day, and it spoke of something which ought to be done in the event of the boroughs refusing to amalgamate. He desired a report to deal with the matter entirely from the point of view of the right. In doing that, he did not throw the slightest slur on Mr Short, who, ho believed, was as competent a man as there was in the Dominion.