LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 132, 4 June 1904, Page 9

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

During the week a. convention o| country representatives lias been sitting in Sydney to discuss a scheme of local government for New South Wales. The Municipalities Act of 1867 left it optional for a district to become constituted as a municipality, and consequently only a small portion of the .State has been incorporated. For tho past quarter of a century a comprehensive Local Government Bill has been promised, but so far nothing has been done. Mr. Wise, tho State Attorney-General, hns lately taken the matter up, and called the Convention to discuss a nuipber of connected with his proposal. His idea ia to mako the question' a, burning one at tho appronchincf gonoral elections. It waa decided that tho -whole State should be incorporated,'' hut that tho Western Diviliidn, which is but sparsely settled, should receive 'special treatment. It whs agreed that the franchise should bo limited to Kitepayors. The sources of revenue for the local bodies were tho subject of along discussion. It was ultimately decided that the Councils should be empowered to levy rates on unoccupied Croun lands other fh:m those reserved from sale. The hind tax as existing nt present, it was decided should be repealed, and the Councils empowered to assess and collect a land tax without exemptions, the proceeds of wh.-h they would hand over to tho Government. Of the total sum, the Government would return annually 50 per cent, ns a grunt in aid among tha U>un,cfls in the Central and Eastern divisions. It was recommended that' the Western division at the State be divided into iivo shirrs of from 15,000 to 30,000 square miles each, and given a Government subsidy of £10,000 apiece. Wftter conservation, it was contended, should be eft to the shires. The establishment of local government will, it is thought, purify the State Parliament of ranch oi "roads and bridges " jobbery lor 'which it has bscn noted. STATK POLITICS' The iiUeiest in SUle politics' at present is not $ie.U. In Victoria tho election, campaign Jihs not been arousing very great interest J\'o speeches of importance weie made during the though Mr. Rent wou'd have spokeu at Fitxroy had the crowd not been so roMdy that he had .to abandon life meeting. Ha stated that he was confident of a .victory In Xevr South Walos Mr. Wndrfell, th« Ireasuier, delivered au optimistic finanf cml speech. The date- of the St«te deot'ons w» noi yit known. In West Austra.ni the 'polling for the ref«rnW Parliament t,\k.*s place on the ?9th inst., and it k stated tli.it Iwie again very little real interest rs taken in tho campaign, and tho candidates have lice* ,ib« to secure only the Mukllest of pmiittices. In Tasmania the Htriiggle betw«,> tha Radical Assembly and the Con«ivatt*o Legislative. Council continues. TJw Par. liamentary work was brought to * i>ud« den pause on Tuesday by prorogation fot a fortnight v \n\& the GovoraiTK-iit dwides on its next move, tt i". n«cfcrmined to forcb its amendments to the constitution through the Council wen if all opicr* husiness is suspended In Queensland the debate on the Address-in-Reply has been proceeding, and in South Australia the House is in 'recess, and no developments have lately taken plac»