COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 2065, 26 June 1896, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

This conference has now finished its business. The Committee appointed brought up" the report on The Local ftoVernment Bill, which was adopted. This Committee considers the Local Government Bill in its present form unworkable, and thinks it would not improve the efficiency of local government while m-atfrially increasing the cost thereof. Amongst many very important proposed alterations, it recommended that Parliament throws upon local bodies, wherever it is not impracticable, sole construction and maintenance of the roads of the colony, assisting them out of the consolidated revenue in the foHowiner manner:—Section I. for roads of celonial importance, to be defined by Parliament, a sum of money equal to their co^t; section 2, for main roads, to be defined by the Surveyor-General, a subsidy of pound for pound. Resolutions were passed, affirming thai no system of local government was complete which did not provide special revenue for Counties, including Crown lands providing; no revenuo ; that fees pas by auctioneers who carry on business in both Borouehs and Counties shall be paid proportionately to each local body'; that no Riding or County shall return more th.m three members ; that provision shall be mnde that when an i existing bridge has become dangerous and requires re-building, the County Council shall havo power to raise a loan for the purpose without taking a poll of the ratepayers an the rnat^n:.; tint it is not desirable to influd • fire insurances in the powers of local bodies.