REPORT OF THE HIGHWAYS ACT AMENDMENT BILL COMMITTEE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 16 February 1870, Page 4

REPORT OF THE HIGHWAYS ACT AMENDMENT BILL COMMITTEE.

The Committo appointed to consider the Highways Act, 1867, Amendment Bill, 1870, have the honor to report, that "while technically they have kept within the order of reference, namely, the Amendment Bill, they hare thought it. their dnty to c:irry out the manifest intcution of the Council, which was, that they should build a complete enactment on t'-c basis of the short Bill referred to them. They have imported into the Amendment Bill the greater portion of the existing Highways Act, reverting, however, in some respects more clos Iv to the original Act of 1862 ; but, on the other hand, introducing several alterations which have been suggested by practical experience. They propose to repeal the Act which is now in operation, and to substitute in lieu thereof, after revision by a professional bill draftsman, the Amended Bill appended to this report. Under the Highways Act, 1862, it was left optional with the majority of ratepayers, whether the assessment of rates should be based upon acreage, or upon the estimated value to sell. By the Act of 1866, within a certain district defined in the schedule to that Act, the option was taken away, only value to sell being considered in making a rate. But over the rest of the province the option was retained. In the .Rural Districts Act, 18(59, disallowed by the Governor, the acreage rate was done away with throughout the province. The Committee recommend that the option should be retained, as in the Act of 1867. The Committee have endeavoured to afford greater facility than at present exists, for the recovery of unpaid rates; but they leave to the Council the question whether rates ought or ought not to be recoverable as an ordinarv debt. The Committee recommend that the election of trustees should take place in April, instead of October, as at present, and that rates should become payable on the Ist of August, thus enabling the highways works to be undertaken at the commencement of the fine weather season. They recommend that power should be given to levy an emergency rate, if required, in addition to the annual rate ; that rates shah not be collected, as at present, but paid in ; whereby a great saving will be effected; and they especially recommend, for reasons unnecessary to recapitulate, that the vote for the annual rate should precede the vote for the election of trustees. The committee concur in the Superintendent's recommendation to relieve the Highway Boards from the expense of publication of the assessment lists in the Provincial Government Gazette.