LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

Mataura Ensign, 14 May 1912, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

NOT ACCEPTABLE. PKE UNITED PRTSSS ASSOCIATION. TIMARU," May 13. At a meeting of the South Canterbury local bodies' delegates to-day Messrs W. S. Maslin and C. N. Orbell ■were appointed to attend the Wellington conference on the Ix>cal Government Bill. A resolution was passed to , the effect that, while improvements in the present laws would be appreciated, the Bill was not acceptable, and its adoption would increase the cost and lessen, the efficiency of local government. The inclusion cf Waitaki County in the South Canterbury Province is said to be a strange thing, as that district has practically nothing in com- " mon. with the others. The chairman of the meeting (Mr F. R. Gillingha.m) condemned the whole measure as undemocratic and in no way acceptable. Others said that hospital and education management must suffer if the Bill were adopted. CHANGES TOO VIOLENT. GISEORNE, May 13. j At a meeting of the local bodies to consider the Local Government Bill the opinion was generally expressed that it was unworkable. The changes foreshadowed were too violent and the powers of local bodies were greatly curtailed. Dr Collins was appointed delegate to the conference. CLUTHA RESOLUTIONS. A special meeting of the Clutha County Council was held for the purpose of discussing the proposed Local Government Bill. Councillor Quin submitted a number of motions which he had drafted, in. order to save time. The council took the proposed motions seriatim, and after discussing each one, adopted them as follows: (1) "That the Clutha County Council condemns the main principles of the | proposed Local Government Bill, and objects strtnuously to the proposed Supervising Board, or Local Government Beard, that would override the rulhigs of elective bodies, and also to the establishment of provincial councils." (2) "That roads and bridges in counties should be left to the sole control of county councils, which should be given a I sufficient revenue to maintain main' roads and bridges and other works. The| &. establishment of provincial councils so j I >. far as councils are concerned (in which • there are no road districts) would mean creating a.second body to do what at present is being done." J (3) "That this Council strongly ob-! jects to the abolition of ridings as a re-' trograde step. The separate control of ridings and their revenues has been a.'' I great factor in the equitable expendi-j * turi of revenue." (4) "That if ridings are abolished, there will be a return to the scramble 1 for moneys to expend, and a majority!, will obtain moneys to spend that have I, been raised by the minority in outlying : ridings, thus causing squabbles and :' much ill-feeling among members of the | Council and ratepayers. The present' 6ystem of ridings works smoothly, and any change would be to the dis*advan-j tage of a large number of ratepayers. In addition, the abolition of ridings i would f&ve the inventive to differential rating." • I (5) "That any readjustment of county I boundaries should aim at the boundaries' being extended in most cases so as to I make the counties of sufficient extent!' and wiljh: the necessary population te ' return an M.P. for each county, and that as far as possible mining and agri'cultural counties should be kept separ- i —■i^ II __ , .YLooßed for Bad Time. "Knowing my child was subject to i '• croup and hdfeing been unsuccessful \ with so mgiyofeHlbiff ß I looked for a bad i time when I heard him bark one night," i says Mr Little, Park street, I North Fitzroy, Vic. "I gave him Cham- i : "berlain's Cough Remedy and he slept i till 10 oiclock, when I gave him a double ( dose and^the-result was wonderful. He 1 did; up again until two o'clock i '' ' andthat was all the trouble I had. The '. i *„ .f^f 60 * of- Chamberlain's Cough Remedy ' ~<n removing the phlegm i? wonderful." s I -; SoH everywhere, 5

ate, owing to conflicting interests, and that the boundaries of many counties require readjustment owing to new railways altering the position, and thus destroying community of interests in many places." (6) "That this Council strongly protests against the proposal to limit overdrafts to amount of revenue outstanding at end of year, and considers the * present system sufficiently low—namely 1 the total amount of receipts for preced- " ing financial term, loss moneys received -! from the Government, which in one case i j is about £BOO, and the largest sum borI j rowed in the last decade has not gone , j beyond £3198. This Council considers . the proposal to alter the term for which I I councillors are elected—namely, from . three years to two, a mistake. Three 7 year terms work very well; there is no for alteration." j * (7) "That this Council strongly con-! " demns the proposal to make any change ' in the county franchise, the proposal 1 being cumbersome and taking away the I rights of those who supply the money; - for county works." | (8) "That this Council approves the ■ i principle embodied in the Bill of re-' | ducing the number of local bodies, and with that view recommends that road boards should be absorbed by the county councils." j Mr John Edwards (chairman) was ap-i pointed to act as the Council's delegate' at the meeting to be held in Dunedin; ' on Tuesday next. I