COUNTY CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5420, 10 August 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

COUNTY CONFERENCE.

Friday, august 9.

The Conference met* at 10 a.m., at the Government Buildings, Mr. Bastings in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman brought forward his resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Oadman, under which the power of issuing miners’ rights would be given to counties. After some discussion it was' recommended that the miners’ right should hold good in any part of tho colony, but that any miner, on making his application, must state where he proposed to exercise it.—This was agreed to.

The resolution of Mr. Woolcock, —That main roads of the colony should bo taken over, provided for, and dealt with by the General Legislature of the colony,—raised a long and interesting discussion. Mr. King seconded the resolution, and gave instances where the maintenance of the road would absorb tho whole of the county revenues.

Mr. llolleston considered that counties and road boards could nob continue to exist together, and regretted the abolition of provinces, . .

The Chairman denied that provinces had done their work properly iu his district : £300,000 had been taken from it, and not one penny returned until tho county system came into force.

Mr, Hall said that the discussion showed how the wants of the colony varied in different yurts. Messrs. Sutton, Beetham, the Hou. Robert Campbell, Green, Woolcock, Bvodio, and Saunders also took part in the discussion, the latter making an excellent speech, in which he stated that he hoped the question of declaring main roads would bo undertaken in no party spirit. He considered that it was no pirfc of the functions of a Government to undertake the management of roads. He believed that where a district derived no benefit from railways, their share of the loans raised should bo devoted to main roads, and that the laud fund of a district should be expended on roads within the district from which it was raised. Mr. Beetham’a amendment was ultimately carried, to the effect that the Government should give grants in aid to all the county councils upon whom devolved the duty of maintaining roads of colonial importance, the Bugineera-in-Chief in the colony to define such lines of road ; that where the circumstances of some parts of the colony will not justify the expenditure of colonial funds upon railways, such districts should have a claim upon the colonial funds for the construction of main roads.

Mr. Brouie brought forward a resolution, which was seconded by Mr. SOMERVILLE, to the effect that where native lands or waste lamia of the Crown were exempt from taxation, the Government should grant a subsidy equal to the rates which would otherwise be collected.

Messrs. Sutton, Thyuue, King, Cadman,and McMiun pointed out how unfairly the present system worked—that in some parts the natives defied the collection of rates, and boasted that the pakehaa made roads for the Maoris to travel upon—that a goldfield county, whether in the bauds of the natives or of the Government, could be made to pay no rates, although roads were.much needed; and that practically under the pretent system thoso counties that most required assistance obtained the least. The resolution was then carried.

Another proposal of Mr. BttODlE’s, to classify the road boards and county councils so that the grants in aid might be regulated according to their respective requirements and necessities, was lost on a division by 11 to 5. Mr. Johnson moved that the Fencing Act bo referred to the committee in charge of the Rating Act, which was carred. Mr. Biundis having withdrawn his resolution by permission of the Conference, it was agreed that the committee appointed to confer with a committee of the Municipal Conference, in reference to the grants iu aid of hospitals, &c., should meet together'at 2.30 p.m. The Conference then adjourned until 10 a.m. next day.