ASHLEY COUNTY LOCAL BODIES ASSOCIATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXII, Issue 13603, 24 November 1904, Page 5

ASHLEY COUNTY LOCAL BODIES ASSOCIATION.

The half-yearly meeting of the Asnky County Local Bodies’ Association was held at the Road Board Office, Rangiora, yesterday afternoon. There were present-—-Messrs F. Horrell (chairman), G. Leech and) J. Marshall (secretary), Mun-dcvillc and' Rangiora Road Board; J. Ingram, Oxford; J. O’Farrell, Oust; H. J. Horrell and A. Moderate, West Eyrelon ; J. Brown and G. S. Hickman, Kowai; S. Kingsbury, J. Hensha-w and J- M. Joynt, Afililey. Mr D. Buddo, M.H.R., was also present. Mr F. Horrell, who was not able to attend the annual meeting, thanked the delegates for electing him president. He said Unit since- the last meeting Parliament had held its session, but very little legislation of interest to the agricultural community had been passed. Referring to his election jo the Charitable Aid Board, he said that his experience had been that there was too aid dispensed! for so young a country. There were some receiving aid, no doubt, that were not deserving, but it was hard’ to get at them. He wan afraid the ladies on the Charitable Aid Board were inclined to he too sentimental, and showed a desire to make the aid recipients better off than many of those -who had to contribute through the rytes to the Charitable Aid Board funds. The demand: on the accommodation at- the Female Refuge was also a grave cause for anxiety and dissatisfaction. He assured the representatives that it would! be a continual effort to conserve tho 1 funds for wire, distribution. ■Mr J. Shaw moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Messrs Horrell and Dobson for their services on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. Mr J. Hcnshaw seconded the motion and it was carried. Correspondence was then read from Messrs D. Buddo, C. A. C. Hardy and A. W. Rutherford, M.H.E.'s, with, reference to live Association's suggestion that- 1 the Government should take steps to provide poisoned grain in different centres in the colony for the suppression of the; small birds nuisance; and that the dog registration law should bo amended, to allow local bodies to penalise owners who do not. register their dogs by March 51. Mr Buddo explained that the- question of poisoned grain had come under com fiideration, and probably the suggestion would bear fruit. With regard to the do-g tax there had been no general demand for an amendment of the Act. as" suggested, hence the Government was not prepared to do anything, the Boards having power to sue. Personally; he thought the best way to deal with the difficulty would lie for the Boards to have power to impose a penalty rather than sue. Mr James Shaw moved the resolution; of which the Knwa-i Road Board had. given notice—“ That the Ashley County Local Bodies Association is of the opinion, that steps should be token to amend the exiting, Hospital and Charitable Aid Acts, no as to. provide that the. annual levins placed on tine different district,'.) should be- according to tlie population of cacti district, tlio amount to.be contributed by the respective local authorities from the jjaneral fund- of such district, with, the option given, as at present, for authority to strike a special rate for the purpose of meeting, the. demand, if deemed neotos;wy by the local authority.” The mover said that tho Kowai Board, jn bringing this matter forward, did jk» in tine firm belief that something, should be donto alter the indidonce of taxation- for hospital and charitable aid purposes throughout the whole of New Zealand. Under tllie present system there was a too heavy demand on some districts, and others were let off much too lightly. Ho wished-it to. h® understood that there was no desire to set town against country, hut only- to establish a fair basis of contribution. The suggestion had already been adversely criticised by some local bodies. Tie main objection, so far aw he) could see, by that system, w)crM resemble, or would really ba m poll tax, with great trouble to collect. This was,far [»m the Board’s, intention. The, idea waa that the different yearly levies should be made) by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards respectively on the several local bodies according to population in eaoh district, each local, body to pay th-a amount of levy a.s they do ait viz., out of tho general district- fund, which, would mean that each district would' keep its own poor and'needy. Under the present, system, Christchurch contributed arifhe- rate of 7|d per head of the population, whilst Kowai contributed Is 3(hi, whereas' the latter district hardly sent one person a year to the hospital, and there were only one. or two recipients of Charitable Aid. Mr, S. Kingsbury seconded the motion. The chairman said that ho mentioned the matter at tho Hospital Board) mooting, but of course the town members were against it. Ho felt confident that an alteration' would have to be made. Ohiistohurohi was receiving altogether too much, in proportion to the amount, contributed; towards the Charitable Aid Board funds. Tha charitable aid question was a serious one. The demands on the Board were, largely increasing, and if the) funds were to be provided there would Shave to lie- a system devised for obtaining revenue more equitable to the country districts. It was unreasonable that each resident ip the) Waipara. district should contribute 3s B£d in comparison with by" each'resident of Christchurch for hospital maintenance. Mr H. J. Horrell said the proposal was too drastic, and it was not likely to ever be carried., the influence of the towns and newspapers being too strong against it. His Board was in favour of the motion, but ho thought it should bo modified to make it more acceptable to the largo centres of population. Mr D. Buddo said the Association, in moving in this matter, was treading on delicate ground. If'the comity local bodies made a, claim for exemption as- proposed by the motion it was very evident that the town bodies could turn round and say: What about the cost of education in the back blocks as compared with the towns, and the cost of railway construction to the remote districts. In. carrying out the proposal they would, go right away from the established system of assisting the poor. The matter was so important that he considered it should be referred to the Counties Association to deal with. Mr J. Ingram thought _ the proposal would not be considered fair. Apparentlyit placed the'large. land owner on tho same basis as a labourer. Mr Sluov explained that this was not the case-. The large land owner would : have to pay his proportion of the tax as at pie'sent, but the Hospital and' Charitable Aid Boards w r ould collect the. contribution from the local body on a population basis. Mr J. Marshall suggested that a- more acceptable plan would be to allow the country local bodies a rebate of 10 or 15 per cent on their Contributions. After some further discussion, in which hlr Buddo’s suggestion found- favour, Mr Shaw obtained permission to withdraw his motion and substitute the following : '‘That as differential rating on a population basis is approved 1 of by this meeting the whole question of rating tor Hospital and On-aril;able Aid a-d'rn'inistration, of tl.e same be remitted to the County Council s Association's annual meeting, for consideration and that steps be taken by the several Road Board's in tho Ashley County to become affiliated with that AssociationMr J. Henshaw seconded tae motion and it was carried. , With reference to the small birds nuisance, the chairman said -that at the last meeting it was decided to take more uniform action, but- he understood that- various prices were being paid tor eggs and heads. He asked the representatives to urge their Boards to act up to the arrangement made at the annual meeting. Mr H, J. Horrell gave notice of motion, from tho West Eyreton Road Board That to protect roads an Act- is necessary appointing Commissioners to- decide flood water courses, and that a Court presided over by tho Stipendiary Magistrate, shall

be held in each district to decide appeals of persons who may object to such lines of drainage.” The meeting (hen ended.