COUNTY CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5422, 13 August 1878, Page 2

COUNTY CONFERENCE.

Monday, August 12, The Conference met at 10 a.m.; Mr Bastiuga in the chair. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. The discussion on the report of the committee on the Hating Act was resumed, and the following report was adopted:— The committee appointed by the Conference to consider what alterations may be required In the Hating Act, 1876, beg to submit the following amendments :—Clause 4, amended as follows: —That, on or before the 31st October, 1878, the County Council of any county in which the whole Act is in force shall appoint, as it thinks fit, remove and reappoint, one or more tit persons, to be called valuers; and may assign and pay to them such salaries and emoluments, out of the county fund, as may bo deemed advisable: Provided always that in every county where road boards and local boards are in existence, such boards shall compile their valuation list for such districts from the valuation list prepared by the county valuers. Clause 19. After the word “ affected,” in fifth line, insert “or posted to.” Clause 37, sub-section 4. Strike out the remainder of clause after the words “extinguished,” in the second line. Clause3S, subsection 2. Strikeout sub-section, and inse>t. “ That it be payable in yoarly or half-yearly payments in each year.” Clause 41. After the word by, in the first line, strike out the four following words, and insert, “ The chairman or not less than two.” Clause 48. After the word “at.” in the fourth line, insert “ or by posting the same to.” Clause 58. Strike out all tbo words from the word “ found,” in the second line, to the word “with.” in the third line. Clause 65 was amended by the insertion of tbo words “county council ” before road board.

Mr. Noonan moved, —That in no case should the Licensing Bench have control over road, bridge, or ferry. But in the opinion of the Conference this right of .the Licensing Bench did not exist in law, and the motion was lost. Mr, C adman withdrew a resolution to incapacitate a Resident Magistrate from acting as a Returning Officer, upon the understanding that under the present Act such Resident Magistrate had no power to adjudicate upon cases connected with the election where he had acted as Returning Officer. Mr. Johnson moved, —That power should be given to County Councils to frame by-laws for the eradication of noxious burrs, briars, &c., and for the destruction of rabbits. Mr. Sutton seconded the resolution, and it was carried. Mr. McMinn’s resolution, That the ratable value shall be based upon the actual value irrespective of improvements was lost. This resolution raised a lengthy discussion, in which Messrs. Sutton, Thynne, Brodie, Woolcock, and Noonan took part. Mr. Swanson, following these gentlemen, remarked that ho approved of the principle of levying taxes in proportion to the ability of those on whom they were laid to bear the burden ; that it was practically industry that was taxable throughout the world ; and that if people desired to levy a tax upon unimproved land, because it was unimproved or unoccupied, they could readily do so with the consent of the House of Representatives. Mr. Saunders pointed out that the towns could often spar© population, the country always wanted it. He stated that Wellington, for instance, could lose half its shopkeepers to-morrow, but the business could be equally well carried on by those who remained. In towns be was inclined to favor a rate upon property and improvements; in the country he should prefer to exclude the value of improvements, and tax land only. Upon a division, the motion was lost. Mr. Hobbs’ motion, seconded by Mr. McCardell, —That the Government should alter the basis of distributing the subsidies by classifying the various local bodies, as the present plan of granting subsidies to wealthy and settled bodies is not equitable and does not tend to open up tho neglected out-districts, —was carried.

Mr. Mason moved,—That the method of auditing for counties shall be by one or more auditors appointed by the ratepayers, in addition to the final audit by the Government auditors.—This was carried. A resolution asserting that tho co-existenco of county councils and road boards having jurisdiction over the same areas was inconvenient and unnecessary, caused considerable debate. Mr. Sutton, in seconding the resolution, gave great praise to the road boards, as did also Mr. Rolleston, Mr. Saunders, and others. All the speakers agreed that some general council o! chairmen of road boards or other local bodies was required. Hr. Wayne said he was well pleased with the institutions as they at present existed. Mr. Waleer protested that the resolution as then before the meeting was too indefinite for practical purposes. The Chairman remarked that these institutions were as yet in their infancy, and said he was sure that the separation of the two islands was bound to come in time. In his district, within a radius of ten miles, there were five local bodies sitting, with five chairmen, and engineers and other officials, whereas tho business could be readily transacted by one properly constituted governing body. The resolution was withdrawn. The Conference adjourned till 7.30 in the evening, when the reports of the committees ou loans, on reserves, and on the Counties Act were considered, as well as the proposal of the Government re hospitals and charitable aid. The committees sat in the afternoon at 2.30. In the evening the following report was brought up The committee on reserves begs to recommend that reserves be dealt with in three classes as follows :

Class 1. —The committee apprehend that the Government will retain in their own hands reserves for railways, tramways, telegraph lines, townships, and lighthouses. Class 2.—That the following reserves be vested in counties:—Reserves for ferries, canals, wharves on rivers and lakes, landing places for timber and other material, stone quarries, pounds, planting reserves, waterraces, certain police reserves in excess of police requirements which would be useful for camping stock when travelling, and gravel reserves ; and that power be given to delegate the management of some of the reserves to road districts, commonages on goldfields, and mining reserves, subject to the right of mining thereon. . . , „ Class 3.—That the following reserves shall be vested iu local bodies (other than counties or road boards) .-—Recreation reserves, racecourses, botanical gardens, cemeteries, abattoirs, industrial schools, charitable institutions, and reserves for river protection and drainage purposes and municipal purposes.- And the committee further propose that the Government shall be requested to give effect to these recommendations.