COUNTIES CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 July 1945, Page 3

COUNTIES CONFERENCE

INTEREST-FREE LOANS WELLINGTON, July 26. Resuming the discussion on the Waitemata County Council’s proposal for interest free money for county councils, at the Counties’ Association conference to-day, Mr. H. T. Bates, pi the Bay of Islands County Council, dealt with Mr. Lefeaux’s reference to paper money. He said Mr. Lefeaux s statement had been unfair and misleading, for, when the war was over, the amount of paper money would be considerably reduced. Mr. E. H. Baker, delegate from Cook County Council, said that his county has paid £lll,OOO in interest over the last eleven years. He said he was impressed by the sanity and clarity of Mr. Lefeaux’s views. He said it was not the interest payments on borrowings that caused trouble. It was unfairness of hospital rating, and also paucity of grants made to county councils from the petrol tax revenue. . Mr F. Holder, Wanganui County Council, said that the conference should not turn down the proposal in this remit flatly. They had to give their best to amenities of counties. The Waitemata County Council remit was lost on the voices. The Mangonui County submitted a remit urging that the Association take up the question of interest free money as a study. . This remit was carried. hospital/rates WELLINGTON, July 27. A proposal for direct action by refusing to levy the hospital rate met with little support at the New Zealand Counties’ Association yesterday. The 'example was cited of Mangonui County which did not levy the rate last year though it continued to levy a general rate and would probably adopt the same action this year. The conference heard a deputation from the Nev; Zealand Farmers’ Union, of R J Glasgow (Auckland), and W. J. Thomas (Carterton), the former saying that Mangonui was fighting the first round and would go under unless it received some support. It they were convinced the incidence of hospital rating was unjust, then almost any action, not involving violence was constitutional. Mr. Thomas said he felt that if the counties refused to levy a rate they would not be breaking the law but protesting against injustice. Mr. W. Morrison (Maxwell) president of the conference, replied that for years the Counties had fought direct action and he would not like to see the Association adopt it. He was informed that Mangonui had been pushed into its present position by the Farmers’ Union and had received much odium. ‘ Mr. M. E. Lyons, chairman of the Christchurch City Council Finance Committee, speaking on proposals emanating from Canterbury suggested that the combined Municipal and Counties Associations should propose Ito the ' Government that it bear I seventy-five per cent (at present fifty 'per cent) and municipalities and counties twelve and a-half per cent, each to be based on capital value, and on population. Mr. W. Fordson (Kaitieke) said there were local bodies waiting for a lead from the conference. As for ■direct action they must move with the times.

After further discussion, the motion was put and defeated, only a few voting for it. Mr. C. V. Kirke (Mackenzie) then moved that in the event of the counties not being given considerable relief as the result of the Parliamentary committee’s report, there be an immediate meeting of the County Council representatives to decide what action should be takpn. This was carried.