THE MAYOR’S VISIT TO WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9993, 23 March 1893, Page 6

THE MAYOR’S VISIT TO WELLINGTON.

~ TO THE EDITOR. 1 Sib,— The statement in to-day’s paper that the Mayor is going to Wellington on Saturday, for the purpose of attending the Municipal Conference, to be held in that city next week, cannot surely be correct. In the first place, the Conference is only called together during the time of the Parliamentary session, due notice of which is always sent, some time previous, to all the City and Borough Councils throughout the Colony. To this Conference the Christchurch Council is entitled to send two delegates; smaller towns send one delegate each. As no communication notifying the holding of a Municipal Conference next week has been received by our Council, it is evident there must be a mistake somewhere. If the Mayor has received any intimation of a Conference, he has no right to ignore the Council by keeping back the information, for by bo doing ha deprives the Council of its proper representation, and also prevents it from discussing any items of business it may desire to have brought forward at the Conference. If, on the other hand, the meeting next week is not to be a conference of municipal delegates, but only an executive meeting of the Municipal Association, called for the purpose of discussing certain items of business referred to it by the Conference of last year, the executive cannot discuss the proposal of the Mayor’s to allow a discount off promptly paid rates, as that subject has already been discussed aud a different decision arrived at, and having been already dealt with the executive have no power to reverse the decision of the Conference. The proposal, moreover, is an unfair one. If it became law it would have the effect, in my opinion, of favouring the wealthy at the expense of the poorer ratepayer. Therefore, if the Mayor’s proposal should be discussed by the executive, I hope it will share the fate of similar previous proposals.—l am, &c., COUNCILLOE. P.S.—I would just like to add that the decision arrived at at lest year’s Conference, by nine votes to eight, was "That interest at 10 per cent per annum shall be added to all rates iu arrears after three months from the date at which the same should have been paid for any time thereafter during whica they shall remain unpaid.” This decision is so. manifestly unjust that no Parliament would ever agree to its becoming law. A