COUNTY COUNCILS' COISFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1947, 18 June 1891, Page 13

COUNTY COUNCILS' COISFERENCE.

A conference of delegates from county councils whose revenue has been affected by the abolition of the dnty of 2s per ounce on gold and the Crown Lands RatiDg Act was opened at Wellington on the afternoon of the 12th. There were present : Messrs J. O'Meara (member of the Lake County Council), P. Brennan (chairman of the Inangahua County Council), J. M'Whirter (chairman of the Westland County Council), M. -Organ (chairman of the Buller County Council), and W. M'Kechnie (chairman of the Grey County Council.

Wellington, June 13. At the conference of County Council representatives from the South Island resolutions were passed :—": — " That the revenue was quite inadequate, and unless the Government gave help the connty system must break down. That the act should be amended to enable counties to tax all vehicles. That in consequence of so much land being reserved for the Midland Railway the colony, ought to pay rates on unseleoted lands not exceeding £2000 to any county in one year. That Nelson, Westporfc, Grey, Inangahua, Westland, Queens town, and Vincent County roads should be recognised as colonial works, and the cost of maintenance thrown on the Government. That the counties should have-all the revenue in mining districts coming from mining.- That the Government be asked to pa6S a validating act freeing members from the responsibility cast on them by aot of keeping the revenue up to the mark." A meeting of the members of Parliament for the districts affected is to be held to consider the position. ■

June 14.

The conference of County Council chairmen met again yesterday afternoon when the manner in which the resolutions previously passed should be brought under the attention of the Government was discussed. It was decided to meet the West Coast members at 1030 tomorrow morning, at 2.30 p.m. a deputation of members and delegates, and the conference will wait on the Premier on the subject.

June 15.

The County Council Conference passed resolutions setting forth that the county councils should have the same power in the matter of fires and fire brigades as municipalities have; that there are too many local governing bodies, and the conference therefore recommend Government to bring about a change in the direction of merging and amalgamating some of the local bodies with counties, especially in goldfields districts; that counties should have the same power to deal with the lighting of streets as are given to municipalities.. The conference further recommend the Government to cause Dr Macgregor to make inquiry and ascertain where savings can be effected by amalgamating or closing of charitable institutions on the West Coast, for the purpose of relieving the counties of the enormous demands made for charitable aid.

The goldfields members conferred with the county representatives thismorning, and went over the resolutions with them. Messrs R. Reeves, Guinness, O'Conor, Valentine, G. Mills, and Harkness were present. Some slight alterations' were made, and the members then approved of the resolutions, and agreed to join the deputation to the Premier, which was put off till 430 instead of 2 30. The Hon. Mr Feigns will be asked to attend. New resolutions were passed to the effect that the contributions under which a moiety of hospital and charitable aid sustenance is provided for by local taxation allows the wealthy and thinly-populated portions of the colony to escape paying their just share, and throws the burden on the poorer classes grouped in town and settled districts ; that the act should be amended to enable counties legally to vote subsidies to cemeteries vested in trustees ; that the Local Bodies Loan Act should be amended to enable counties .to raise loans to pay off liabilities incurred prior to March 31 of this year — say to the extent of £7000 or£Booo. Representatives of the goldfields counties, who have been meeting here to diecuss the financial position of those districts, finished thejr proceedings this morning by passing a resolution to the effect that the whole of the counties in the colony should be invited to a general conference in Wellington next year, one week before Parliament opens, with a view of having the Counties Act amended. A copy of the proceedings will be sent to every county.

;DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. At 4.30 this afternoon a deputation of goldfield members and county council delegates waited on the Premier at the Government Buildings for the purpose of bringing under bis attention the various resolutions passed at the conference of county council chairmen and the financial position ot county councils. The Hons. Seddon, M'Kenzie, and Cadman were present with the Premier, and the deputation consisted of the Hon. T. Fergus, Messrs Thomas Mackenzie, Scobie Mackenzie, O'Conor, Harkness, Charles H. Mill?, Valentine, B. J. H. Reeves, aud Guinness, M.H R.s, P. Brenuan (Inangahua County Council), W. M'Kechnie (Grey" County Council), Bird (Waimta County Council), M'Whirter (Wastland County Council), Organ (Buller County Council), O'Meara (Lake County Council).

The Hon. T. Fergus explained that the deputation wished to place bsfore tbe Government the position of county councils and the fact that they would be unable to carry on work with the revenue at command. He pointed out that the gold duty had been abolished and then tbe Crown Land Ratirg Act; had been repealed whiah was even wor3«\ The councils have been brought into their present position by haviDg to maintain roads which opened up and developed Crown lands, and the Government should render them assistance by restoring their source of revenue on a safer an"} better basis.

Mr Brennan said it was impossible to carry on unless they received a subsidy for maintaining roads and bridges. In his district the cost of maintaining those were very heavy owing to the heavy rains and rapid river?, and yet the subsidy had been largely reduced. The Hon. Mr Ballance asked if the gold duty had not been abolished at the instance of county councils.

Mr Brennan said he was not asking for tbe restitution of the duty, but would not be unfavourable to tint course being adopted if the Government could not devise some other means of assisting county councils.

Mr Ballance thought that the export dnty on gold was not more defensible than would be an

export duty on mutton and wool, and what the councils wanted was a plain vote from the Treasury, and that was a matter that required very serious consideration. Mr Fergus thought county councils were entitled to some consideration from the Government as they assisted largely to develop Crown lands. Mr Ballance, in referring to the repeal of the Crown Lands Rating Act, said this had been done at tbe request of a majority of members of Parliament, and he could hold out no hopes of it being restored. As to the gold duty, the northern portion had not asked to be relieved of paying it^and if the request for a grant from the Treasury was acceded to the northerners would also have- a good claim oh the Government. He did not think the Government could make them any allowance whatever. The matter had, however, never been brought under the notice of the Government before, but he advised the deputation to look round for some other means of revenue. He mentioned that in looking over the balance sheets of' councils he found that the departmental expenditure was very heavy as compared with the expenditure on works, and thought before asking for assistance councils ought to bring down their departmental expenditure to the narrowest limit.

Messrs Brennan and M'Whirter contended that goldfields counties compare favourably with other counties in the colony in the matter of expenditure.

Mr O'Conor pointed out that there were no railways on the West Coast, and residents' were contributing to those in other parts of the colony; therefore he considered the coast should receive some relief, and suggested a' way out of- the difficulty would be for the Government to take over the roads.

Mr Ballance said if that were done the Government would be inundated with similar claims from all parts of the colony. Further, he was not of opinion that the Government should extend its responsibilities respecting roads.

Mr Valentine said if the Government took over main roads it would materially assist councils, and he pointed out the heavy responsibilities the council in his district had on this head.

Mr Ballance replied that the colony's funds would not bear it, and the policy of the colony was against it,

Mr Fergus referred to several roads maintained out of colonial funds, and what the deputation asked was for a diversion of portion of the revenue derived from Crown lands with which to maintain roads. He thought it was not for the Government to adopt a dog in the manger policy, and throw the responsibility of maintaining roads on miners. By the Protection policy assistance was given to manytrades, and the request of the miners for a quid pro quo from the Treasury was only a reasonable one. Mr Ballance said, when the repeal of the Gold Duty and Crown Lands Rating Act took place, Mr Fergus, who was then a member of tbe Government, should have foreseen the difficulty that was likely to arise and have made provision for it. -The rents of runs was now portion of the consolidated revenue, and its being available for road making was out of the question. The Government, they must remember, had not a bottomless exchequer from whioh money could be drawn at will. Looking at the resolutions, there were several which would require careful consideration, and if effect was given to some of them it might lead to restoring a portion of the revenue.

Mr M'Whirter said the West Coast was peculiarly affected by the repeal of the Grown Lands Bating Act. There nearly the whole of the land was allocated to i>he Midland Railway Company, and of coarse the council could not get settlement' on it by people bo aa to secure revenue by taxation. , They had also to maintain a road and ferries 'to Jackson's Bay," along which also there was no settlement, If it were not for the mailman, who went' to 1 Jackson's Bay, the council would not have-.to maintain ferries. He said the revenue of the connty he represented was now reduced to about £4500, and as nearly the whole of it went in maintaining roads and bridged; it 1 could not cany on, without assistance. He stroDgly opposed tbe'reinßtitation of the gold duty. ' ■ Mr Ballance said the matter was reduced to this : (1) County Councils -to leceive a grant from the or (2) power' to be given to tax themselves on the Government taking over certain works now performed by councils. The Government, he might say at once, would not take over roads ; and as to a grant from the .Treasury, that was a matter for consideration, but, it was not at all likely that any grant would be made. Mr Valentine said unless the Government assipted county councils they must fail to carry outitheir functions. , Mr Reeves said if the Government could not seejts way to give the necessary assistance' he woqld favour the reinstitution of the gold duty so far as Inangahua was concerned, though he would like to see some substitute for. the present loss of revenue. . Mr Brennan asked^ if the Government would subsidise the gold "revenue. " ' ' s" ' Mr Ballance replied that that was a matter for consideration. Mr O'Meara urged that the Government 'should take proceedings to recover' the sum of £637 owing for mining rights. ! In conclusion, Mr Ballance said the various matters would receive very earnest consideration, but he could give no assurance that the assistance requested would be granted. The deputation then withdrew.