CIVIC AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1506, 31 July 1912, Page 6

CIVIC AFFAIRS.

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Tho conference of delegates tto the Municipal Association Conference continued in session all day yesterday. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. 0. M'Laren) presided. Practically all the seventy delegates were present. Travelling Expenses. The following remit from Palmerston North was carried:—"That, as the Controller and Auditor-General has refused to pass amounts charged for councillors' travelling expenses, as authorised by Section 13 of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1910, the Governor-in-Council be asked to immediately make the necessary regulations to make such expenditure legal; also, that tho travelling expenses of the servants of the local authorities when travelling on the. council's business bo deemed lawful expenditure."

Another remit from Palmerston North bearing on a kindred subject was carried. It ran as follows:—"That tho Governor-in-Council, nnder the powers by Section 13 of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1910, be requested to fix tho travelling allowance of Mayor or councillors travelling on tho council's business, with tho authority of tho council, as first-class train or steamer faro return, and a sum not exceeding 203. per day for the * time ' actually occupied in travelling and .performing the work authorised by the said council." The Music of the Band. On the motion of Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston North) tlie following motion was agreed 'to:—'/ That the following subsection be added to Section 299 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908: '(3) Tho council may, out of its general funds, pay to a band or bands a sum of money per annum for supplying music in any-of tho pleasure grounds, gardens, libraries, museums, music halls, or gymnasiums, provided for the purpose of enjoymont or recreation of' the public.'" (Tho Audit Office refuses to pass such payments.) Special Funds. Mr. C. E. Mackay (Wanganui) moved: "That councils may set aside in a special bank funds- for special purposes, for which there is no provision at present in law, otherwise than the district fund." Mr. Mackay said that what they asked was the power to set aside money for certain purposes. It would help boroughs to see exactly how tlicy stood. A borough might want to set. aside a special sum for, say, superannuation for its employees. Several delegates stated that the Act af 1910 provided for what was asked by the remit. ' Tho point was referred to Mr. Martin (tho Association's solicitor) who said that tho statute- met most.of the points covered by tho remit, Mr. D.' H'Laren ' suggested that the mover and the solicitor might confer on the matter, and that intlie meantime the rote on the motion might bo postponed. This course. was taken. Alterations to Boroughs/ Mr. G. W. Browne (New Plymouth) moved; :-"That Section 19 of the -Municipal Corporations Act, 1910, which gives power for the taking of a* poll upon a proposal "to add any area to a borough be amended to provide that if the result of » ipoll is in favour of the proposal tho Governor (iu cases of divided boroughs) may, in tho notice adding such area to the borough, also .state in which ward or wards such area is to be included, or whether such area shall constitute a new ward or wards."

Tlio Governor (the nim-er said) had this power where the procedure under Section 118 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, is adopted, but had not the powerwhen, the alternative procedure under the Amending Act. of 1910 was adopted. i The motion was carried. Streets and Footways. The Grey Lynn delegate (Mr. G. J. Garland) moved:—"That the conference consider the advisability of recommending the Government to amend the law re respect of lateral support; inasmuch as that, as the law stands at present, lateral support must bo provided in tho formation of new roads to persons having built without due observance of the fixed levels of such roads, and in providing such lateral support the footways are so diminished as to monopolise, in many instances, the whole of tho footway. The local authorities should be given the power to remove the batters after the lapse of a stated period.

•After some discussion, the motion was defeated.

The following Ashburton remit was lost by 21 votes to 27 votes:—"That Section 167 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, bo amended by adding the following clause:—'lf the council, at any time after a footway has been laid out or constructed, but not asphalted, considers it necessary or desirable that such footway should be asphalted, it may impose not exceeding one-half of tlin cost of such asphalting upon the owners of lands and buildings fronting the same.'" Wellington's remit (moved by Mr. A. H. Hindinarsh), "That, as the legislation as to the maintenance and construction of private streets and private waj-3 is unsatisfactory, legislation should be passed authorising councils to deal with these matters on the lines of the Local Government Act, 1903, of Victoria," was carTied without discussion.

A note, appended to- the remit on tho order-paper, read:—"This Act'gives councils power to construct these after giving notice to parties interested of its intention, and depositing specifications for inspection for a fixed period, and hearing objections to the scheme.- Our Statuto does not enable us to ehargo all parties benefited. The Victorian Act does."

Mi'..H. Holland (Christchurch) moved:— "That any iperson laying out a new street be compelled, when required by tile local authority, to lay in such street a sewer connected with a public sewer, and a water-main connected with tho municipal waterworks,! provided there is a public sewer and water-main within G6 feet of any public entrance'to such new street." Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmers ton North) said that persons who cut up their land did a commendable thing, and should not be discouraged nor hindered. The Hon. J. Ba.rr (Sumner) declared that people who cat up land did so for the purpose of getting all they could out of the business, and that it was in tho interests of the public that theso owners should bo made to do as tho remit proposed. Tlia motion, was carried. Systems of Traction. Mr. J. 'A. Nash moved that the Municipal Act, 1908, should be amended to permit a local authority to establish any system of traction in addition to tramways, as at present defined. Mr. E. P. Bunny (Lower Hutt) seconded. Mr. Or. V. Pearce (Hawera) said that the wording of the motion was such as to permit of a borough building railways. Mr. R. T. Michaels (Auckland) said that tho Dunedin City Council owned a railway at present. * Mr. J. A. Mash: And the Sandon people own a tramway. ( The motion was carried by a large majority. . Drainage, Water, and Lighting. The Wellington proposal—that provision should be mado for registration of drainage and other agreements where they affect land under the Land Transfer Actwas carried.

The following note was appended to the remit as it appeared on the order paper :— "The instalments payable are recoverable as ratis, and are therefore a fcharge on th« land. At present registration can only bo effected by caveat. If there are no mortgages this cost 155., for ' every mortgage there is an additional charge of ss. If it were not necessary to gite notice to mortgagees, 10s. would be a sufficient fee. Purchasers would then be protected, and the' position of mortgagees would not be really affected. In order to' protect purchasers' it is now necessary to put a very heavy charge on the poorest owners of land."

It was resolved, 011 the_ motion of Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh (Wellington), "That statutory provisions should he enacted lo vest drainage rights in all persons using common drains, and that provision should bo made for tho registration of such rights as easements in favour of the dominant, tenements, and against the serviant tenements." Tho conference adopted tho Wellington the power to de&n» tin

ordinary supply of water, and io deeido whether the same shall bo measured by meter, ns provided by the Act of 1880, bo restored to local bodies."

On the motion of (lie our of tho Christchurch representatives it was decided that legislative power should be given to Municipal Councils to appoint inspectors to test gils-metcrs belonging to private gas companies. Open Spaces. Mr. R. T. Michaels (Auckland) moved as follows:—"That Section 31 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, lie amended by the addition of the following sub-section:—'No ownor or lessee of any land not being the site of a dwelling-house shall sell or part with any portion of such the effect whereof ivould be to leave a lesser area or open space to such dwelling-houso than is required in respect of new dwelling-houses.'" The proposal was agreed tr

On the motion of Mr. W. ,T. M'Grath (Napier) the conference resolved: "That Section 291 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 190S, be amended by repealing Subsection 10, and by substituting the following:—(10) This section shall not apply to hotels, nor to any dwellinghouse the rear of which abuts directly oil any public street or plitce, nor to any dwellinghouse which has at the rear thereof, and exclusively belonging thereto, an open space which is of less extent than that required by this section, but which abuts on any such public street or place." Second-Hand Timber. Mr. \V. J. Organ (Eastbourne) moved: "That local authorities should have power to make provisions that no second-hand timber whatsoever shall be removed from one district to another unless such timber shall have been first inspected and approved by a duly appointed officer of tho local body governing tho district into which it is proposed to bring such sec-ond-hand timber, and that no secondhand timber whatsoever shall bo used for building purposes in any district unless tho same shall have been first inspected and approved by a duly appointed officer of tho local body governing the district wherein such timber is proposed to be so used."

Mr. Organ said that at present there was no power to prevent second-hand timber going into a municipality. There was power to prohibit tho use of the timber, but they could not keep an inspector sitting on a stack of timber to ensure that it was not used. And timber could be rushed into a building, covered with a coat of paint, and the fact that it was second-hand successfully hidden. The motion was carried. The Financial Year. . At tho instance of Ashburton it was decided: "That Section io, Sub-section 1, of the Public Reserves and Domains Act, 1908, be amended by deleting the word December and inserting the word March instead thereof." Tht mover, said that the idea was to make the financial year co-terminus with the State's financial year. Rating Matters,'. The following Christchurch remit was rejected: "That Section 80 of tile Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, and Scction 70 of the Rating Act, 1908, bo amended to empower local authorities to add 10 per cent, to all rates when first demanded, with a view to allowing a discount of 10 per cent, on all rates paid within three months after due date, and a discount of 5 per cent, on all rates paid between three and six months after due date."

Mr. W. J. M'Grath (Napier) moved: "That Section 61 of the Rating-Act, 1908, which entitles a person rated in respect of any dwellinghouse or other . building to a remission of half rates where such dwellinghouse or building .remains vacant for not less than six jnonths in any rating year, bo repealed."

The motion was lost by 21 votes to 2G. The two following remits were adopted, the former from Wellington, and tho latter from Grey Lynn:—"That local bod- ( ies be given statutory powers to rate companies or persons using the public streets for purposes of.,profits;".(»Tvtl "that boroughs whose rating' is on the basis of unimproved value bo given the samo power in respect of rating gas companies' mains,-, electric tram lines, etc., as is given under tho Principal Act, 1908." Matters of Valuation. The New Brighton remit (following) was agreed to on tho voices. "That tho Valuation Department make arrangements for valuations of boroughs, to be mado at regular intervals of not more than thTeo years." The following remit from Lower Hutt, Karori, and Palmerston was agreed towithout discussion: "That the law be amended to provide that the local Valuation Rolls should bo adjusted to December 31, and put in the hands of the local authorities concerned by the April 1 following, in order to admit of the rates being levied, and demanded, at a much earlier data than is now possible." Tho following resolutions regarding partial revaluation were carried:—

"That, tho Valuation of Land Act, 1908, bo amended in the direction of making it the duty of the on the application of tho local uuthority to revalue • all lands in cities or boroughs cut up and roaded for residential sites during the interval which elapses between revaluation; tho revaluation to be oh the same basis as similar property already valued on tho local valuation roll."

"That Section 3G of tho Valuation of Land Act, 1908, be amended to enable a local authority, by notice in the prescribed form, and on payment of the prescribed fee, to require the Valuer-General to make a new valuation of any property or properties appearing on the district valuation roll, without being put to tho expense of having the whole district revalued." "That no owner of property shall bo allowed a revaluation of his property without the consent of tho local auuthor. ity •" Various Resolutions. Mr. W. A. Vcitch moved tho following remit from tire Gonville Town Board:— "That a further amendment.be made to Section 1G of the Town Boards Act, 1908, to provido that tho electors' roll shall only be . required to bo prepared during the year in which a general election of members takes place, and that the time tho roll is to bo prepared be altered from the month of April to tho month of July, thus avoiding the necessity for such a largo supplementary roll." The motion was carried without discussion. Mr. M, J. Miller ■ (Lyttelton) moved: "That Section 28 of the Hating Amendment Act, 1910, be amended so as to provide that an additional 10 per cent, shall be payable on all rates remaining unpaid for three months after the date upon which they first become payable. That the date upon which the penalty will be added be plainly printed on the rate demand form, and that no other, notice be required. That tho collection of tho 10 per cent, penalty by the local authority be made compulsory, so that tho system shall work uniformly throughout t.he Dominion." The mover explained that the change would obviate most of the rush at the end of the year.

Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) objected to the motion, on tlio ground that it would necessitate the payment of rates within nine months, instead of within twelve months of their being levied. This might prove a hardship in some cases.

Tho motion was carried by 23 votes to 22. Mr. G. W. Browne (New Plymouth) moved, and Mr. M'Curdy (Upper Hutt) seconded: "That Section 119 of tho Public Works Act, 1908, under which local authorities benefiting by the construction of a bridge, etc., may be compelled to contribute thereto, be amended to also provide that the local authorities concerned in lieu of taking the steps prescribed by the said section inav, by agreement, arrango tlie proportion of the cost to be borne by each local authority." The motion was carried.

It was resolved—Lyttelton'9 remit— "That local authorities he empowered to compel the removal of useless and unsightly fences, buildings, hoardings, etc." The following remit from Eofrer Hutt was agreed to: "That the provisions contained under Section 21G of the 3lunicipnl Corporations Act, 190S, whereby a Borough Council may require the owner of such premises as are therein referred to, to provide and do certain work? and tilings, and also tho provisions contained under Section 2(i of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1910, whereby the council may do tlie work and recover against such owner the costs, etc., if ho fails to comply with the notice served upon him under tho former section, shall extend and apply to nny mortgagee, and that th» said sections to nm<udi!d accov(!> .