THE COUNTIES CONFERENCE YESTERDAY'S SITTING.

Evening Post, Volume LXII, Issue 17, 19 July 1901, Page 5

THE COUNTIES CONFERENCE YESTERDAY'S SITTING.

DISCUSSION OF THE NEW BILL. On resuming after the luncheon adjournment yesterday, the portion of Part 16 ol the Counties Bill referring to the keeping of accounts wafe referred to the Revising Committee, 1 with a recommendation that whatever regulations are mode should.be embodied in the Bill. It was recommended that new daunt be added providing that one-twelfth ofthe ratepayers may by petition demand a special audit, and that -after the bal-ance-sheet has been audited, it should Ire advertised as being open for -inspection. Clause 159, relating to the alteration of boundaries, was referred to the Revising Committee to make provision for. the amalgamation of . counties, and also provide that 'where two counties ere in agreement, certain properties may be transferred from one county to another without petition. Section 163 was altered by allowing the same privileges for the alteration of boundaries of town distridts as in the case of counties, and then referred to the committee. The reference to specifying tlie price of contrac*: was struck out of clause 169. Some time was spent in discussing the conditions of contract, as defined in the Eighth Schedule of the Act. A sweep was made of several of the conditions, the argument being that County Councils were perfectly competent to undertake the carrying out of contracts, and of imposing conditions, and the Government had no right to dictate how they should perform their contract work. Clause 174, containing powers of 'leasing, was referred to the solicitor for interpretation. The conference excised the provision for a special order in the case of acceptance of surrenders of leases. i Motions by Mr. D. Sutherland (Waitaki),"under the "Public Works" provision, that County Councils bo given power to take land for gravel pits or quarries, by paying dbuble the price such land is valued at for Land Tax purposes, and to have free access to such . gravel-pits or quarries ; and that Councils have power to take gravel or stone out of ariy creek or river-bed on. Crown lands, were lost on the "voices. A proposal that the Government should compensate counties in cases where it has contributed towards making county i works more expensive, was also thrown out. Under the section relating to roads, Mr. Cockbnrn-Hood succeeded in extending section 163 so as to enable a> local authority to enter upon fenced land in cases of emergency, *and make temporary roads on payment of reasonable compensation. The roading of subdivided land 'provided for in section 195 caused a good deal of discussion. Some contended that to compel the formation and metalling of 66ft ronds would prevent the cutting up of tends, while others urged that at . prices which were 'got now-a-days the feast tfhat could "be done by those cutting' up properties was to provide the settlers with fair means of ticoesa. The provision as to metalling, etc., was made to apply only to town districts, and not to the whole county. The section providing that the Governor may in certain cases declare a road passing through a borough a county road, was stfuok out. A debate ocourred on elauße 210, embodying the much-vexed question of apportionment of cost of the maintenance bf a road used principally by* traffic from another district. Many delegates desired ■ the clause to be eliminated, on the ground that it was unjust in many instances, particularly in the case of counties that had no outlet except through other counties. The argument in favour of retaining the clause was illustrated by such cases as that of the Hntt road and its pitiable condition, in consequence of its being cut up by traffic from localities which were not contributing to its maintenance. The clause was retained, * and boroughs alto brought under its operation. Section 220, providing penalties for unlawful laying out of roads, was struck out. A proviso was added to section 222 to the effect that minor deviations of roads and tracks for public conveniences, and where the public interests are not affected, be permitted on the resolution of , the Council. The conference rose at 5 p.m. unti next morning. TO-DAY'S' SITTING. THE REVISING COMMITTEE. On the conference resuming this morn ing, Mr. W. Fraser, on behalf of the Revising Committee, reported that the committee - sat from 8 until 11 o'clock last night considering the recommend** turns of the conference in the Counties Bill. The association's legal adviser (Mr. Martin) had pointed out the hopelessness of attempting to draft new clauses for the Bill, and had suggested that the practice of the municipal conference should be adopted — vie., of making recommendations to the Government, and, if they were adopted, leaving the Government draftsman to deal with them. An interim report would be ready by this afternoon.* With." regard to sec- . tion 195, relating to the roading of subdivisions of lands upon which the advice of the solicitor had been sought, Mr. Martin's opinion was that it referred to the cutting up .of property into _a number of allotments, and not the mere selling of a portion to a neighbour. Mr. J, Allen moved that the report of the committee on the recommendations of the conference be printed fend circulate ed, and considered when the whole Bill had been dealt with. The motion was carried. It was nlso resolvtd to talc the committee to draft a clause, which would make it perfectly clear that clause 195 applied only to fresh settlement, and not to land sold by one neighbour to another. THE COUNTIES BILL, Consideration ol the BUI was reGumed. The conference struck out the word "special order" from clause 229, rein tint;

to permitting swing gates on roads iv apatsely populated districts, and substituted " lucul authority " for tho Commissioner of Crown Lands a3 the authority to be satisfied as to the construction mid maintenance of gates. The period allowed for the removal of fences or obstructions on roads thut have become public inconveniences was increased from 60 days to six months. With regard to the extended powers given for the removal of overhanging trees, gorse, etc., from roads, it was recommended that work of this kind ordered must bo completed within three lnontui. An animated debate arose on tho subject of the cleaning of noxious growths irom roads. Ifc was contended by tome delegates that if it could be shown that gone, etc., had spread through the fault of tho local authority, that 'body should remove it; and if it was due to the noglect of a partioulav person, he should do it. This would protect innocent portions from hardship. A proposal to erase the provision that the liability of the occupier or owner should not be affected by the fuct that the obstruction complained of existed before the coming into operatiou of the Act, or ha& not tipread from tho land of the 'occupier or owner, was lost on the voices ; so also rwas a proposal that where it was shown ,to tho satisfaction of the Stipendiary -Magistrate that the obstruction was caused by tho neglect of tho County Council, it should bo compelled to do the clearing. Mr. H. J. Richards (Horowhenua) succeeded in inducing the Conference to asfcent to the following subclause : — "That power bo given to local bodies to compel occupiers of land in curtain cases whore it can be shown to bo an injury to a 'road, or a danger to tho traveling public, to have bush or dead tLnj'ber felled Sip to a distance of one chain from the boundary of such road." The interpretation clause -of the Public ("Works Act, referring to cattle, was recommended to be insertwj. in the interpretation clause of the Oountios Act. As to straying cattl.<o, clause 239 was imended to read that \i cattle are found straying on a road vhich is fenced on both sides, or has o, fence on one side, and tho sea or riv« d r on the dther, the Council or any T/er&on may causo the cattle to be taken to the nearest accesiiblo public pound. The Hawera representative (Mr. J. Uoddie) moved in the direction of striking out the provision for placing tollgates on roa/Js, butr the majority of tho Conference was against; him on the subject. Funerals and their attendants were «dded to tho list of exemptions from tolls. , At the instance of the Greymouth representative (Mr. W. M'Kechnie), penalties for plying for hire across a stream near a bridge or ferry at which tolls are payable, were made to apply to tho use of a "horso, vehicle, or other means," a» well as boat or punt. Section 250 (powers of retained Road .Boards over district roads) was referred to the solicitor, to^bo brought into lino with other clauses relating to Road !Hounls. The whole of the section .dealing with drainage and river works was deferred for consideration until the Association's solicitor could give an interpretation regarding it. After this tho Conference ran rapidly through tho clauses of the Bill . until those relating to pubito health were reached. These passed without amendment, the dolegates declining to include piggeries in the list of general nuisances. The Revising Committee -was requested to make sure that the Bill gave counties the samq powers as boroughs on this important question of publio health. After some discussion on clause 307, providing that buildings for public meetings must be liconsod, the clause was referred to the Revising Committee, to provide that Councils may make bylaws dealing with the use of any building or enclosure within a county or town district for public meetings or as assembly rooms. The object was to exempt school and other- buildings occasionally used for meetings, etc., from being made subject to license. Subclause Bof clause 312 was referred to the committee, to be brought into line with the Noxious Weeds Act, and division 8 was directed to be made to comply with the previous decision regarding road districts. In the^bylaw section, power was asked for to make bylaws to apply, among other things ipocified in the Bill, to t;he licensing of vehicles, carrying timbflr, produce, and road metal, and to regulate the width of the tires of vehicles. The Conference at this stage adjoarned for luncheon. On resuming, the conference took up tho discussion of tha question of bylaws relating to heavy traffic on county roads. It was finully resolved that the Revising Committee be instructed- to incorporate in clause 332 the provisions of the Public Works Act relating to heavy traffic, computation of weights, etc., that are omitted from the" present Bill. In subsection 3 of clause 335, the li-cense-fee for a hawker or pedlar was permitted to be as high as JBS. The committee was asked to ascertain whether there is provision made for the purchase of land for cemetery purposes. Tbe whole of the sctedules in the new f Bill were, referred to the committee, to alter in accordance with' the resolutions .which hare been passed. Tbe conference next proceeded to discuss notices of motion. (Left sitting.)