TE KUITI DOMAIN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 618, 12 November 1913, Page 4

TE KUITI DOMAIN.

TAKING OVER DOMAIN. Prior to the establishing of a borough council at Te Kuiti the Domain was under the control of a board composed of private citizens, and certain moneys were borrowed for the purpose of effecting improvements to the Domain. When the property WBi taken over by the Borough Council the question was raised as to whether the Council could legally pay off the old liability. The question was referred to Mr T. F. Martin, solicitor to the Municipal AsßOciaiou of New Zealand, and the following reply has been recaived: —"While there is no power given by pat 11 of the Public Reseves and Domains Act, 1908, for a domain board to borrow money, yet the old board (which consisted of private persona) could "have legally contracted for the improvement of the Domain under Sction 33 c, applied to Domain Boards under Section 49 and the Borouhg Council as the fsuccessor to the old Board could have had to take over the liability. Although the overdraft waß guaranteed by the members of the old Board personally, yet it was incurred by them as the Domain Board for the purpose of improving the Domain. Under Section 49 a local authority where it iB the Domain Board may apply any part of its ordiuary funds toward) the management improvement and maintenance of the Domain lands; and if the Council is satisfied that the overdraft money was actually applied by the old Board in improving the lands I consider that the Council may in the circumstances and if it thinks fit, legally pay off the over draft out of its district fund (General account.