Local Bodies Confer

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 68, 22 March 1935, Page 7

Local Bodies Confer

Animal Conference of Municipal Association

NON-PAYMENT OF RATES BY GOVERNMENT Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The auuuul conference of the New Zealand Municipal Association was opened this morning, the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr, D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) presiding. He welcomed the delegates and then reviewed the recent legislation so far as it affected local bodies.

A telegram was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Sir Alexander Young) wishing the conference every success.

Among the early remits carried were one urging a more equitable system of distributing auctioneers' licenses among local authorities than is provided by the Auctioneers’ Act, 1928, and another urging tho Government to bring down general legislation giving municipalities the option of selecting cither of the methods of recording votes at elections, the use of a cross against tho names or the deleting of the names.

A telegram was sent by the president at the unanimous request of the conference to protest to the Government against the non-payment of rates by Government departments concerned with mortgage lands of which the departments iiad taken possession. r lhe conference declared that local bodies were the victims of a grave injustice, of which they should bo relieved. The telegram was sent to the Prime .Minister, the Minister for Finance and the leader of the Opposition. It was decided that representations be made to the Government asking for the stricter control of Alsatian dogs or for legislation forbidding them being kept in the Dominion. The principle of a national scheme of health insurance was approved by the conference. Details of the scheme were not discussed, because of representations that fho Hospital Boards’ Association had a scheme under consideration and was seeking support for it

A suggestion that the municipal and county elections should bo held on the same day, and that that day should be the second Wednesday in May biennially, was approved. The conference refused to adopt a suggestion that the Government should make a rebate to all ratepayers, as has been done to county ratepayers on two occasions. A remit was passed, However. urging the Government, when considering any future relief to county ratepayers, to take into consideration the position of ratepayers in the cities and boroughs and town districts. Remits urging the setting up of a Royal Commission to inquire into all local body administration were carried after a brief discussion. It was argued that municipalities, as well as rural local bodies, should be within the sphere of the inquiry. A scheme for the provision of earthquake insurance by a national scheme, such as was submitted in Mr. W. I'j. Barnard’s Bill of last, year, was approved. Several delegates spoke in support of a remit declaring that the conference viewed with alarm the number of advertising hoardings throughout the countryside and suggesting that all local bodies frame by-laws restricting the erection of them. It was unanimously decided that the Government be requested to make it compulsory for all push bicycles to have the rear mudguard painted with aluminium or other luminous paint.

The following remit war, earned: ‘‘That the Government be requested to apply the tuberculin lest periodically to all cows producing milk for city and town consumption.”