LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8186, 30 July 1912, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE VARIOUS SUGGESTION'S. WIDENING LEGISLATION. Delegates to the twelfth I anial conference of the Municipal . .ociatron ot New Zealand assembled at the council chamber, Town. Hall, yesterday morning. Mr X). McLaren (Mayor of Wellington) presided, and the otner delegates pieseiut numbered seventy. The president welcomed delegates to the city and trusted their stay, would bo pleasant and profitable. They were assembled as an advisory body to the Government, though in a sense the conference was a government itseii. representing the local authorities, of the Dominion. It was only bj r municipal bodies being most active that they could keep tho central government free. , Civic government was a matter of vital importance. As the country grew, it became necessary to take larger and even larger views of civic affairs. Trading services hud become of first rate importance, and it had occurred to him whether the conference wae altogether wise m merely passing resolutions- It would be valuable to have special papers on such subjects as the tramways, municipal educational institutions, and public health, lio suggested that in tutuxe conferences they might have such papers by gentlemen who had studied ana well thought out the subjects. This conference indicated that the civic spirit of the country was very much alive, and that citizens were active to the matters that concerned themselves. There was no need for jealousy between the various cities, rather there should be co-operation and mutual held in promoting ideals of civic government. (Applause.; PRESIDENT'S REPORT. A report by the president on the association's proceedings since the conference in mo stated that it was Batisiactory to find that a considerable number of tho association's resolutions had been given, effect to in tho 1910 and 1911 fiefisions. Efforts were made to obtain ©till further legislation, but the pressure ot other business upon tho attention ot Parliament was too great to admit ot this. Tho best thanks of the association wore duo to Mi' T. M. \Vilford, M.P.. for tho hard work done by him, notwithstanding failing health, in fiujj porting the association s clauses m I arilament. With a view to putting the resolutions of past conferences that had not been passed into law in concrete form. <a number of Hills have been prepared by tho association, setting out ths effect of these resolutions in the shape of clauses ready for insertion in any Hills affecting them that might be introduced in Parliament. Copies of these Hills had been sent to tho Government; and it was hoped .that they might, be the means of getting tho association s re solutions more readily placed upon the statute book. Ninety-six borough councils and twenty-five town. districts wore now affiliated to the association.

Tho report was adopted. ; The conference then proceeded to deal with a largo number of remits on the order-paper. LICENSING LAW.

"That the Licensing Act bo amended in tno direction of allowing the licensing election, being taken under the Local Elections Act. with a view of. enabling a candidate to withdraw his nomination to save tho cost of an election.' (East election cost tho Palmerston Council about JSTO). This was moved by Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston, North), and carried by a largo majority. ELECTORAL LAW.

"That in order to facilitate the conduct of local elections and prevent error, tho Local Elections Act bo altered in the direction of providing for voting at local elections in exactly the same manner as at general elections for tho House of Representatives, and that tho voting papers ue printed in tho same form." Mr Nash, in moving this, said he would like to seo the whole of tho elections brought under ono form. The present system of using crosses was contUMessrs G. J. Garland (Grey Lynn) and J. Wilson (Dunedin) supported tho remit. Tho latter remarked that it was conflicting to officers to deal with voting papers, some of which had crosses and others had names struck out. Different elections should not bo held on tho same day; he instanced one occasion on which a Mayoral, council and harbour board election were held simultaneously. Other delegates urged that the general election stylo of voting was much preferable. Tho chairman noped that the proportional system would be introduced in municipal elections, with indication of preference of the electors. He supported the remit. The motion was carried. ' TOUTING EOB VOTES.

That the Government be asked to amend the statutes governing local elections and polls, so as to make the provisions of Parliamentary elections applicable to local elections and polls, and also to amend the Local Elections Act so that canvassing, touting for votes, etc., shall be abolished, and the voter allowed to exercise his vote unmolested. In. moving this Mr Q. Baildon (Grey Lynn) strongly urged that purification of election methods was necessary, and many valuable men were lost to municipal service because of the present methods. This was seconded by Mr J. C. Gleeson (Auckland), who said that candidates at election times were surrounded with busybodies like flies round a carcase in summer. ~ ~ ... Mr Parr (.Sumner) said the touting procedure was to be strongly opposed: the remit was in the right direction, though the latter part went' a little to Mr* H. J. Otley (Christchurch) said the present system was a disgrace to the intelligence of the electors. Mr F. J. Foot (Wairoa) said that so far as his experience was concerned, there was no touting at Wairoa, and the elections were conducted on clean methods. _ , . ~ ~ Mr B. Fletcher (Wellington) thought that this was the most valuable remit on the paper. They had to deal with misrepresentation as well as touting, and anything they could do in the direction indicated was desirable. Mr Mangeson (Dannevirke) thought that electors would always have sufficient discrimination to support electors who were running straight, but the remit was a good one. ~ , Mr D. P. Loasby (Grcytown) thought it was wrong for delegates to expect such a motion to bo earned in its present form; there should be a concrete proposal. Only a very small proportion of past resolutions had been carried mtoHoniSlaT°n’W. Hislop (Wanganui) thought the matter could not' succeed in its present form. Much of tne talk about so-called purity of elections and evels of touting was sheer humbug. Me had had considerable experience ot elections and his view was that no person should enter into the field of election unless he was supported by a large party of citizens prepared to work for him. That was the only way in which political intelligence could be kept alive in the community. To try to prevent individuals .working for their candidates was undemocratic, though paid canvassing was a different thing, tne motion should indicate what is .precisely meant. . , _ T , Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston North) said the remit was not intelligible in its present form. The mover intimated his willingness to redraft the motion, bnt wished to include it on .a supplementary orderpaper; otherwise to have a- vote then. An amendment by Councillor J. FuL ler to add ‘‘paid'” before "canvassing was lost, and another amendment to do-

leto tho words beginning f *and also to amend, etc.," was also rejected. The remit was lost by 23 votes to 20LOANS FOR FIRE SERVICE. Mr J. A. Nash (Palmerston) moved—- “ That where ratepayers fail to tarry a loan for a supply of water to give a fire service, or which, iu the opinion of the local authority, is considered necessary for the health of the inhabitants, the local authority on receiving the consent of the Minister may be authorised to raise the necessary Joan without the consent of the ratepayers. The remit lapsed for want of a seconder. Another wa s moved by the same delegate. ami carried, as follows "That an amendment bo introduced into the various Acts dealing with Government inscribed Joans to local bodies in tho direction of directing the Advances Oxuce to supply local bodies each year with a statement showing how much has boon paid off the original loan, and that this amount be shown In the statement of the public debt of tho city or borough as a set-off against the amount of inscribed loans." VOTING AT ELECTIONS.

A motion by Riverton—“Voting at the annual election of Mayor and biennial election of council lors in borough (exempting cities): —That the Municipal Corporations Act be amended so as to provide for each person with a residential qualification having one vote, ratepayers or freehold qualification two votee." Lapsed through no appearance of the mover. SANITATION. Some suggestions in regard to more stringent sanitary regulations were made by Mr R. T. Michaels (Auckland), one being that councils have power to charge for removal of trade refuse, or refuse iu excessive quantities, in lieu of demanding a rate. Tho suggestions were approved, GOVERNMENT CLOCKS.

A motion by Mr E. P. Runny (Lower Hutt) that expenditure on town clocks on Government buildings be made legal under the Municipal Corporations Act, wfw> supported by Mr J. Nash (Palmerston North), who said that for the past six years they had paid for the winding of a Government clock at Palmerston, and now the Auditor-General refused to pass the payment as not in accordance with law. Their unauthoris-

ed expenditure was only ,£93 per annum,, and the .£ls for clock. winding would scarcely come out of that. They wished to pay the amount out of the district fund account.

The remit was carried. A. AND P. SUBSIDY.

Mr J. Nash (Palmerston) moved that - "The Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, be amended to allow local authorities to subsidise agricultural and pastoral associations which arc not working for profit." „ , This was seconded by Mr S. Kirkwood (Stratford), who said that in helping tho A. ami P. association they were helping tho man on tho laud. Mr B. R, Gardener (Levin) supported the remit. "Where would the city ratepayer be but for tho man on the land? > ho asked. This motion was highly democratic, and they should help the farmors as much as they could. Hon. J. Barr hoped the proposal would bo thrown out; it would never pass the Legislature. . Tho chairman thought tho subsidising of private associations by local bodies was a'little risky, and the motion, was opening up a field for considerable trouble. ~ . ~ . In reply, Mr Nash, addressing the chairman, said he thought Mr McLaren was a member of the House when lognj lation was carried that borough* might remit rate*. , [ Mr McLaren: On what? ( Mr Nash: It was done by Sir Joseph' Ward after a deputation waited upon him. ■ Mr McLaren: Two wrongs do not make) a right. . ’ The remit was rejected by a substantial majority. , At 5 p.m.- the conference adjourned till 10 a.m. to-day. His Excellency Lord Islington will attend the conference this morning, and has extended an incitation to delegates to take tea wita him at Government House at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The conference will avail itself of the vice-regal hospitality.