The Municipal and Counties Conferences.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2604, 12 August 1878, Page 4

The Municipal and Counties Conferences.

DEPUTATION TO MR BALLANCE,

> (BYzSTAR SPECIAL WIRE.)

_ - WELLINGTON, this day. A deputation,.consisting of the following County Council and Municipal delegates, waited on the Colonial Treasurer this morning/ with reference to the meeting for subsi-clids'.^-Messrs Power and Brodie, of the Thames; Sutton and Moorhouse, Christchnrch;, Bastings, Tuapeka; Green, Port Chalmers- and Brett, Auckland.. 'Mr"Bastings, chairman of the county delegates, said this was a joint deputation from the County and Municipal Conferences'with reference to the refund of money deducted out of the subsidies. There was a-strong feeling in both bodies that the Government had not kept faith with the local bodies on the matter of the subsidies, and that the Government was not justified either in law or equity. He quoted from the Financial Arrangements Act, respecting subsidies out of the Consolidated Fund for hospitals andcharitable institutions. As chairman of _ a county he was quite_ prepared to meet the Government views, though borough representatives differed in-this matter.

Mr Ballance replied that the Government was of opinion that they were legally entitled- to deduct the subsidies. The 13th section of the Financial Arrangements Act, cb.i-se 7, repeals the 13th section of the Abolition Act of 1876, in so far only as it is. inconsistent with the Act. If a number of these institutions throughout the colony were supporting their own sick and indigent, and others were doing nothing, the latter would have no claim to receive anything out of the Consolidated Fund. Thirty-two places in the colony paid half the .maintenance of their sick and indigent, and eleven were supported out of the Consolidated Fund. From boroughs and counties where these hospitals are maintained out ot the Consolidated Fund, deductions from subsidies are made, sufficient to maintain those institutions, because Government held that if borough'-."would not take the management over, they were.not entitled to anything. Mr Bastings : Do you state that you have not deducted anything from boroughs or counties .'where they had partly maintained their own institutions ? Mr Balladce : Yes. Where we deducted we have returned the money. Mr Moorhouse : We think that the Government might substitute a better system of control than the one proposed. ' Mr% Brodie. said that Southern people supported the £ for __■ proposal, because the revenue of their ample endowments would relieve them of local contributions.

1 Mr Bastings denied this. Mr Ballance : I think it a dangerous thing to put charitable aid on the ground of right. Anyone who studies English affairs will see that right to receive charitable aid pauperised a large poi tion of the community. Mr Br'odie a;F_ed that the Government stopped subsidie- from districts where there were no hospitals. Mr Ballance : You send your sick to Auckland."

Mr s Power :,They -.ill not allowns. "Mrßallance: We have returned deductions.

Mr Brodie : Not, to the county. Mr Ballance : You ought to have received them. a

Mr Brett said the Government had completely broken faith with the local bodies in Auckland. They would he willing to accept the Government proposals for charitable relief if "they had any guarantee that they would notbe altered in a couple of years' time. i •

Mr Ballance : What kind of guarantee would act'?F Parliament will be guarantee. Mr Brett : I am not certain of that. Looking; ?it:the! position of this question, a valuable block of land as endowment would be a. guarantee. • s Mi .Ballance : I do not think there is the slightest possibility of the arrangement being reversed for years to come. Mr Bastings;: What I understand^ am to take as. an, answer to this deputation is, that^ Atie "-'iii..ntion of the Government is this, that in counties and boroughs that have contributed towards the maintenance of their local hospitals, any money that has been disposed of out of their subsidies will he refunded.

Mr Ballance . That is the principle of our circulars.

Mr Bastings : And that where counties and boroughs have not contributed anything the Government will not refund ? Mr Balance : Yes.

g§Mr •Bastiii'gs a Would the Government have any .objection to a friendly suit to decide the question ? Mr Ballance : I would have to refer the question to the Attorney-General., I think it undesirable for local bodies to go to_ law with the Government on technical questions. They musMake into account the spirit and intention of the Legislature. Mr Moorhouse: I was a party to the abolition, and. I am quite clear this subsidy was one bf . a number of inducements held out to flavour the acceptance. Mr Bastings wished to assure the Government that this is not a party organization. ,-. -,- -r-"a" .', '■■• • "Mr Ballance : I understand it to be the object of these conferences to get as much out- of the Consolidated Fund as theycan, which is. perfectly legitimate, but it is equally legitimate for the Government to act upon a different basis. The deputation then withdrew.'1

At the meeting of the Conference to-day a resolution by;Mr Hobbs in" favour of an alteration ind'he lav so as to give outlying districts, a greater share of the money was cairried:''FF,- ' A... ■-■.'..'..'-.>;' ~ '..' .'