MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 142, 17 June 1891, Page 5

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

PROCEEDINGS AT WELLINGTON.

(by telegkafh.—press association.)

Wellington, this day. The Municipal Conference opened here on Monday last. The delegates, of whom over forty wore present, assembled in the Mayor's private room and were welcomed by the Mayor. The success of the Conference was drunk in bumpers. On returning to the Council chamber Mr A. W. Brown, Mayor of Wellington, was unanimously elected chairman, and Mr Page, Town Clerk, secretary. In his opening address Mr Brown expressed the opinion thab more power ought to be accorded to municipal institutions, and if this was done, they would nob find, as was very often the case, Parliament undertaking duties which really belonged to the Public Works Committee. There should, he thought, be differential legislation as between the four large cities and other boroughs. Especially was this desirable in regard to sanitation. Hβ hoped to see the Municipal Association on a substantial basis formed at this Conference. One moat important question to come up for discussion was the financial aspect of municipal corporations. At the end of the Conference a deputation would wait on the Government and lay before them the result of their deliberations, and Mr Ballance, who wae in sympathy with them, would, no doubt, assist them as much aa possible. It was decided that on application of any Council the Government shall have power to appoint two asse3sorß to sit with the Judge of the Assessment Court, the expenses of such aseessors to bo borne by the Council applying. The Town Clerk of Auckland moved, "That in the opinion of this Conference the various provincial Auctioneers Acts should be consolidated, and that the Government be asked to introduce a Bill to the effect that license fees shall be payable to tho borough in which the principal business premises of the licensees are situated." This was carried by a large majority. A motion, " That accounts should be returned from the Audit Department) within thirty days of their being placod in the hands of the AuditorGeneral," was carried by 17 to 11. On the motion of Mr Snellson (Palmerston North), and Mr Brown (Wellington), respectively, it was resolved fchat municipal bodies should be given power (1) to stop the erection of buildings when the same are being put up contrary to the bylaws, and (2) to recover tho cost of certificates and law expenses when ruinous buildings are being pulled down by order of the Council. Mr Harris (Wellington) moved, " That all householders in occupation for six months prior to fche making up of the burgess list be placed on it." This was lost on the voices. It was decided that the time for the completion of the burgess lists and rolls ba extended fourteen days. Mr Gray (Christchurch) moved that section o4 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1886, he amended by striking out the words " But only in respect ot property the rates of which have not been paid." This, the mover explained, would prevent any person voting on municipal questions who had not paid up all hi 3 ratea. On being pub the motion was carried almost unanimously. A motion that the mode of copying the burgess rolls he altered so that each burgess should only require one line to state the number of votes he had, etc., was agreed to. Section 85 of the Municipal Corporations Act provides, among other things, that a person who hai served his sentence be eligible for election aa Councillor. Mr Gray (Chrietchurch) moved, "That the words be struck out," but after considerable discussion he withdrew his motion, the consensus of opinion being that it was undesirable to alter the present clause. Mr Harris (Wellington) moved, "That all Councillors shall retire every six years, and be eligible for re-elec-tion." Mr Carncrods moved as an amendment that there be a general election of Councillors every three years. On being put both motion and amendment were lost on the voices. Mr Philips (Auckland) moved that no Corporation should be mulcted in costs in the proaecution of persons for the breaches of the sanitary bylaws. This was agreed to. The question of making provision for the expenses of delegates, etc., was referred to a committee consisting of the Mayors of the four chief cities. TUESDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. On Tuesday the Conference decided that a clause be inserted in the Act, making ib a finable offence for owners of houses to let or allow the same to be used for immoral purposes. A motion, " That it is desirable that powers to regulate the amount of tho open area of ground which should be attached to each dwelling-house should be fixed by statutory legislation," was lost. It was resolved thab power be given to municipal bodies to compel owners of vacant sections to fence the same in all cases, and that costs of such fencing be charged on the land. A motion, "That the Legislature be asked to more liberally doßne what is a common lodging-house, and also to empower municipalities to approve or disapprove of internal fittings of such houses, etc.." was lost by 12 to 10. It was decided that power be given to corporate bodioe to cancel, when necessary, licenses of drivers and conductors of public conveyances ; that it bo advisable to give the Corporations power to oroct gasworks within their boundaries without going to the Legislature for special powers ; and that thab there bo a clause inserted in tho Municipal Corporations Act empowering boroughs to abate gorse broom bramble nuisance on private lands, and that clause 2 of tho Impounding Act be amended so as to render the workingof ib more satisfactory. Section 101 of the Municipal Corporations Act was amended in the direction of empowering councillors in tho absence of the mayor to elect one of their number to preeide at meetings, who shall have and may exercise all the functions of mayor. A resolution was carried to the effect thab a councillor elected as mayor shall be allowed to retain his scab as councillor until installed aa mayor, or hie successor is appointed. It was decided to strike out the words, " at noon," in clause 99 of the Act, co as to leave it to any Council to fix the hour for tho installation of mayor. The Mayor of Nelson moved to alter the present Act, so as to provide that the mayor shall be chosen from bhe councillors or ex-councillors. The Mayor of St. Albansseconded the motion. The Mayor of Chriefcchurch favoured the motion. The Mayorsof Petone, Wangranui, Dunedin, Ashburton, Auckland, and Oamaru opposed it. Ultimately the motion was lost by 15 votes to 7. On the motion of the Mayor of Wellington a permissive clause was added, providing for more than one polling booth for the election of Mayor when necessary. An amendment suggested by the Mayor of Dunedin to allow licensed victuallers elected as Mayors to sit on the Bench, was lost by 13 to 11. The Mayor of Lyttolton moved the following addition to the Municipal Corporations Act—" When no loan on waterworks exists, after maintaining such waterworks in good repair, and when all expenses connected with supplying water are provided, fche Council is hereby empowed to transfer any surplus account." This wasagread to, as also was the following addition to clause 337 relating to the waterworks accountwith any such surplus remaining : —" The Council is hereby empowered to transfer the surplus to the credit of its general account, as in the ease of the tramway accounts." Several technical amendments required to make fche working of the Act easier, proposed by the Welington city solicitor, were agreed to. The Mayors attending the Conference have been invited to lunch by His Excellency the Governor to-daj.