LEGISLATION WANTED

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 16 May 1912, Page 4

LEGISLATION WANTED

The adjustment of special loan accounts between the County Councils in this district has been a very troublesome and irritating matter with some of them for years, and is now no nearer a finality, although repeated efforts have been made in that direction? It has, for instance, reached an acute stage as between the Hawera County Council and the Eltham County Council. AVhen the Hawera County Council had jurisdiction over a wider area than at present, it took up several special loans, covering a period of some twenty years. Subdivisions into other counties or portion's of other counties came about in the course of time, but no machinery was provided for taking over special loans, or portions of the special loans, expended within the territory placed under the control of the newly-created body. In the case »f the. Eltham County and the Hawera County these two bodies arrived at an adjustment about four years ago, and that adjustment was signed by the chairman of each Council on behalf of his Council. But there the matter rested, because the Act provided no machinery to carry the adjustment into effect. Since then certain land funds have accumulated to the Eltham County

Council which previously were received by the Hawera County Council, and out ot which the Hawera County Council paid the interest on the Rawhitiroa road loan. From .the date of the constitution of -the Eltham County Council the Hawera County Council lost its right to anticipate payment of interest out of the land fund thereafter accruing, and notwithstanding this did not collect the special rate. In regard to the land funds now in the hands of the Eltham County Council, that Council has appointed its clerk (Mr Tristram) to confer with the clerk of the Hawera County Council over the position and report to next meeting. There can be no doubt that machinery clauses are required to enable a proper adjustment and transfer of these loans, and although Sir Joseph AVard, when Premier, promised to provide the necessary legislation, nothing has, so far, been done. The necessity for it, and the necessity also for providing for every newly-constituted local body taking over within six months all loans expended within its territory, is admitted by anyone who has had experience of local bodies, and has been endorsed by the County Councils' Conference. But the Government has not yet recognised it, or has been too absorbed in other matters to give it attention. This, however, should now be made a matter of urgency.