MUNICIPAL

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9446, 22 June 1891, Page 6

MUNICIPAL

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. [Per Press Association. I WELLINGTON, June 20. A number of Municipal Conference delegates waited on the Hon J. Ballance to-day to lay before him the result of their deliberations. The Mayor of Wellington acted as spokesman. Mr Ballance said ha was very glad to meet the deputation, and assured it that the Government would give every consideration to its representations. It would be impossible to legislate on all the questions brought up at the Conference, during this session, but if the Municipal Association would give him a list of the most urgent matters, he would have a Bill framed embodying them. The Government, of course, would not pledge itself to support all the provisions of the measure.. Copies of the Bill would be sent to the Municipal Association, and the Government would have the proceedings of the Conference printed, it being the wish of the deputation that this should be done. Mr Ballance looked upon the question of giving municipal bodies power to take money on deposit, in lieu of the present system of. overdraft, as a very largo order, and said the Government must take it carefully into consideration; however, he would do all in his power to get the law as to the present system of overdraft altered. The Premier did not altogether agree with the viewsof the Conference on the Fire Brigades Bill; the proposal to impose compulsory taxation on Insurance Companies calling forth expressions of disapproval from him. He said he would rather put a sum on the Estimates for the Fire Brigades, and say there was the beginning and end of the matter. As to municipal finance, Mr Ballance announced that the Government was very much averse to guaranteeing the loans of local bodies, but would be very happy to do something to assist these bodies in financial arrangements other than by guaranteeing loans. He recognised that something must be done before long in the matter of charitable aid, as the present Act worked very unsatisfactorily. The Government could not do anything this session, but during the recess the whole question would be gone into thoroughly. The question of dealing with slaughter-houses and dairies was undoubtedly urgent, but the Government could not undertake to legislate on the subject this session. He thought municipal bodies should have the same power as Corporations at Home to purchase land on which hovels, &c., were situated. Provision should undoubtedly be made in the Act for paying expenses, such as those incurred by delegates attending the Conference, out of Borough funds; and the suggestion to do away with the necessity to advertise balance-sheets was quite reasonable. The Government would look into the rating power with reference to harbour works and endowments, and the proposals of the Conference with regard to altering the Native system of rating would receive every consideration. He waa . greatly in favour of the suggestion to limit the amount of ground on which a house may stand, as he was of opinion that something should be done to prevent over-crowding, and to break up the rookeries, &c., which existed in large towns of the Colony. Replying to the Mayor of Auckland, Mr Ballance said it was clearly the duty of the police to enforce Borough by-laws, and if the police in Auckland did not do this they were neglecting their duty. Mr Ballance promised to look into the matter.