MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12909, 4 July 1905, Page 6

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

THE SUPERANNUATION QUESTION, [bt TELEGRAPH.— PRESS association.] . i ■ ■ "•■.'■'■ ■ 'Wellington Monday! > The annual conference of the executive of the New Zealand Municipal Association, . '■ was opened to-day. Representatives : <a3§ various parte of the colony were-present. ■■ * ) The first -business . was the consideration ':U3 of a memorandum from the Secretary to the Department concerning a proposal to institute a guarantee.' and superannuation fund for municipal officers. This memorandum gives particulars of other funds of« < similar nature, and points out -that legisla- \ tion would be necessary. In the'course of general discussion . it was established that, , while a superannuation . scheme was '■■■ gene-, •J' rally regarded as desirable, the matter ',' -.[' setting up an association guarantee ; fund . fi was not' looked upon with general favour. ■■■■ Mr. J. Allen, M.H.R., moved, "That in' ,- >= - the opinion of the executive the scheme for <1 a guarantee fund is' not desirable." This' was carried. It was decided to appoint a - committee, consisting of Messrs. Hislop, Williams, Renall, Dovino,. J. Allen and W. ; Fraser, to thoroughly investigate the supers , ann nation question and present a schema ' for submission bo the conference. .' ■ Resolutions were passed favouring the,., ' passing' of legislation allowing nmnioipali-,. ties to eompulsorily acquire gasworks at a ; valuation; that no by-law be invalid six <'j, months after coming'' into force on the,' i.| ground of informality in the making of the by-law; that when a person ceases to be a member of the council any ' office he may, "> hold at the time as the council's representative shall become vacant 14 days after tho ' election of his successor; that Empire Day should be » statutory holiday; that com-, . bin«l action be taken by municipalities, to' prevent any attempt by harbour boards to , ,) ! restrict the existing right of municipalitiesj; : |: to drain surface water into the sea. On the suggestion of the North-oast Valley, '.[ Thames, and Petone, a motion was brought ';, up suggesting that plumping" voting: papers be declared informal, but it was de- . cided not to forward it to the conference. •' A motion to discontinue the use of- the j cross in marking ballot papers met with tbo'j® same fate. ' - " 'j

A motion was carried approving of the .4; principle that all canvassing at raunioipal . ;j| elections should be made illegal, .. but none of the members cared to act on a committca y: 'j> to define the scope of the word "canvassing. '" ;j ' A motion that mayoral ©lections should • take place biennially was lost. ' {•' It was resolved that boroughs may elect to undertake the construction of new. streets-i/jl' over subdivided areas at the cost of the per- - -; sons subdividing such areas, the. estimated ;;f: cost of suoh work to be paid into the borough funds. ■■■' i It was'decided that the Municipal Corporations Apt should be so amended as to alio* » municipalities to take over roads of a mmi. - ■;• mum width of 40ft, provided the local muni- ; ;: : cipality is satisfied a greater width would ho impracticable. . ~ It was decided, as a recommendation to the conference, that the Act should be amended to make it clear whether a to;:;":-? authority, after partly completing a foot- ,'i; path, can on its final completion claim iinlt> v the cost of the whole work. ; A.