LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THE WELLINGTON PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 107, 6 May 1912, Page 8

LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THE WELLINGTON PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE

ELECTION OF DELEGATES. A meeting of representatives •of local bodice in the Wellington Hospital District was held to-day, at 2.30 p.m., for the purpose of electing five delegates to attend the general conference of local bodies from all parts of New Zealand, on the 21st met. The latter conference, ne has been previously explained, will deal exhaustively with the Local Government Bill. The varions local bodies at tc-day'e conference were represented as follow : — Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board : Messrs. James Trevor, R. C. Kirk, G. T. London. Wellington City Council : Messrs. D. M'Laren, A. Hindmarsh, A. R.Atkinson. Wellington Harbour Board : .Messrs. R. Fletcher, J. E. Fitzgerald. Wellington Education Board : Messrs. R. Lee, W. Allan. Horowhenua County Council: Mr. F. W. Venn. Hutt County Council : Mr. J. Wakeham. Makara County Council : Mr. J. H. Fiaggerty. Hutt Borough Council : Mi\ H. E. Kempthorne. Petone Borough Council : Mr. J. W. M'Ewan. Levin Borough Council : Mr. B. R. Gardener. Karori Borough Council : Mr. C. Cafchie. Eastbourne Borough Council : Mr. W. J. Organ. Miramar Borough Council : Mr. H. N. M'Leod. Onslow Borough Council : Mr. F. Houldsworth. Johnsonville Town Board : Mr. W. L. Thompson. Upper Hutt Town Board : Mr. H. C. Gibbons. Hutt River Board : Mr. H. Baldwin. Ngakororo Drainage Board : Mr. C. A. W. Monckton. Mr. James Trevor wae appointed chairman. Mr. Trevor said the meeting wae called at the request of the Government. The secretary read the circular to the chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board from the Minister of Internal Affaira (details of which have already been published). In reply to a question, the chairman said that no expenses had been provided for to-day's m&ating. It seemed to him almost a farce that delegates should have come all the way from Manawatu purely for the purpose of electing five delegates. They could nob go into the Bill in detail, but some little discussion, with a view to the instruction of delegates, might bo allowed. Mr. B. R. Gardiner asked how voting power was going to be apportioned.' It would be just as well to have an under- ' standing on the point. Some local bodies were represented by three persons on the conference. Wero they to have three vbtee and others ouly one? He submitted each separate local body represented should have one vote. Mr. G. London said he hoped thechairman would see that each person .pa-esent would have- a vote. Mr. D. M'Laren, Mayor of Wellington, said the method of calling the conference was a little peculiar. In the original circular the Wellington City Council was not mentioned. In. matters of local government, he thought that cities should have special consideration. It was true that the chairman of the Hospital Board , had been asked to confer with the Mayor of the city, and that had been done. In th© circumstances, however, the chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aia Board' had to fix some sort of representation, and 1 it would be a mistake nob to let everyone present have a vote at the meeting. ' Mi*. F. W. Venn (Horowhenua) criticised the small ness of the country representation, and said it was hie opinion that 'the Bill would die; vory epeedily. Before it was sent to the destructor, however, his county hoped to save a few clauses which they had- been agitating for for twenty-five years. The Chairman ruled that each delegate would have a vote. Mr. W. J. Organ (Eastbourne) moved that tlireo of the delegates should be selected from the first four bodies mentioned above and "that the other two be allotted to the suburban and country authorities. Mr. R. C. Kirk hoped that the best men would be selected, irrespective of whether they came from the country or not. Mr. G. "T. London (Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) urged that the loading features of the Bill should be discussed. One of its leading'features seemed to be- a cutting down of subsidies. Instead of reducing representation he thought they had now arrived at the time when they should have more representation of an intelligent kind. He could not see any evil in multiplicity cf local bodies so long as the administration was good. Personally, he thought the Bill was destined to dry up the springs of charity. The Chairman ruled that Mr. London was going into the larger question. Mr. F. Holdsworth (Onslow) seconded Mr. Morgan's motion. Mi-. W. Allan (Education Board) moved as an amendment that the representation should be fixed as follows: — City Council 1. Hospital and Charitable Aid Board 1, Education Board 1, County Councils and Borough Councils 1. Mr. R. Fletcher (chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board) : Where does the Harbour Board come in? Mr. Allan replied that the Harbour Board wae practically city representation. I This suggestion was adopted by Mr. i Organ and nis seconder, arid became the motion. The motion wa»-carried on a show of hands. The following delegates ware then j elected : Messrs. James Trevor (chairman i of the Hospital and Charitable Aid I Board), D. M'Laren (Mayor of Welling.lon), R. Lee (chairman of tite Education Board), F. W. Venn (chairman Horowhenua County Comic d), J. W. M'Ewan (borough councils and other bodies). This concluded the business.