MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS' ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9269, 3 August 1893, Page 3

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS' ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

The Council of the National Association devotedtheprincipal part of its session at last meeting to the consideration of this Bill. It was reported that the proposed Bill, in somo of its most important features, ignored the recommendations ol: the conferences held in Wellington, in 18i)l and 1892, which had met for the purpose of considering and amending the Municipal Corporations' Act of the colony. Attention was also directed to specially objectionable clauses introduced in Mr. Seddon's Bill, particularly Kos. 2, 3 and 9.

Clause 2, reduces the number of votes that may be exorcised by a ratepayer from five (as at present) to three. Clause 8, provides that in boroughs, which ars divided into wards, no ratepayer may be registered in more than one ward (though he must pay rates upon all properties he holds throughout the borough), and docs not permit of his voting on account of any qualification situate outside the one ward in which ho registers. Thus, it would be possible for a ratepayer —Mr. "A"—owning and paying rates on, say live properties situate in different wards, to have only one vote, while another ratepayer Mr. "B"— whose qualification happened to be all in one ward could, while paying only onefourth part as much rates as "A," have the right to exercise two votes against " A's " one, clause 9 enables the Council to borrow money from the Government, for the purchase or acquisition of a State farm or a village settlement, in relief of the congested populated of a borough, and such purpose is to be deemed a Public Wt»rL, within the meaning of the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, ISStJ. This latter Act requires that a special rate shall be struck, to meet the claims for interest and charges in connection with such loan. It is proposed thus to increase the burdens of the borough ratepayers, in order to place municipally-supported State farms in competition with individual ratepayers and settlers. 'Moreover, the experiment would be confined to the least remunerative employment instead of selecting for experiment the mo. remunerative employ available.

If it be a legitimate function of the Slate to establish and support State farms anil settlements in competition with tillers* of the soil, it must also be just., that State factories of all descriptions, should be established and supported in competition with the mechanic and artisan. This class of competition is perilous to the commonwealth. The design of the clause seems to be to brow upon lie ratepayers of the large municipalities, the burden of providing for the destitute unemployed population of the whole colony. After a lengthy discussion. in which the proposals of the Bill were exhaustively criticised, the following resolutions were unanimously agreed upod to be sent to the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition, and the pie's : — I. That clauses •_', M, and 9 of the Fill provide for alterations in the voting powers of ratepayers, and in the rating power of Corporation*, which, in the opinion of the Council of the National Association are opposed to the best interests of the people. ■J. Clause- 2 and I! not, only reduce the maximum of votes which may be used by any ratepayer from "i (as at present) to '1, but provide that in a case of a borough in which there is more than one ward, ratepayers holding property in different parts of the borough shall be disfranchised in all the wards but one.

o. Clause !• empowers a Corporation to acquire State farms, etc., purchasing them with money borrowed under the (lovernmint Loins to Local Bodies Act, I.SSO, and providing for payment of interest and charges by levying special rates on the burgesses. Thus it. is intended to reduce the controlling power of the ratepayers, who contribute the largest in.livi quota to the rates, and to increase relatively the power of I hose who contribute loss; while at the same time the spending powers of the Corporation arc to be enlarged.

•t. The Council consider the legislation proposed in these clauses, unjust and dangerous, and ..such as should in no case have been attempted, without ample time for consideration.