COUNTY COUNCILS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22182, 27 August 1937, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCILS

ASSOCIATION ELECTS OFFICERS

REMITS DISCUSSED AT CONFERENCE

[THE PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, August 26. The biennial conference of the New Zealand Counties' Association ended to-day. The following officers were elected:—President, Mr C. J. Talbot (Fairlie); vice-presidents, Messrs W. Morrison (Maxwell) and J. Ritchie (Bannockburn); executive committee, Messrs J. W. Anderson (Tirau), W. G. Belton (Waverley), M. Bethell (Culverden), J. N. Massey (Franklin), F. R. Flatman (Geraldine), W. Marshall (Paeroa), C. Matthews (Gisborne), the Hon. W. H. Mclntyre, M.L.C. (Millerton), Messrs G. A. Monk (Reikorangi), W. M. Norman (Winton), P. F. Ryan (Weedons), W. Tucker (Hastings), with Mr A. E. Jull in an advisory capacity; auditor, Mr G. A. Monk (Reikorangi). The following were among the remits adopted at the conference:— "That this association reaffirms its application to the Government for a £1 for £1 subsidy on expenditure on roads other than main highways, instead of the present subsidy on rates. "That this association supports the principle of a national health insurance scheme, and asks the Government to present the scheme to Parliament during the next session and thus allow local bodies concerned an opportunity to express their views before a parliamentary committee. "That an amendment to the legislation be made to provide that all medical and hospital charges in connexion with motor accidents be made a first charge on third party insurance. Hospital Levies "That the present system of the Government subsidy on hospital levies made on local bodies be amended so as to allow a greater subsidy being paid to those districts where there is a large proportion of native population and native land from which no rates are collected. "That the Government be urged to vote sufficient money to the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of clearing noxious weeds, particularly ragwort, on unoccupied Crown and native lands. "That the act be amended to make provision for the representation of counties on the Local Government Loans Board. "That this association strongly opposes the granting of universal suffrage in all county elections."