COUNTY COUNCILS' CONFEERUNCE. WELLINGTON, August 16.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 8

COUNTY COUNCILS' CONFE ERUNCE. WELLINGTON, August 16.

The County Councils' Conference decided that before any roads are taken over by any local authority from any private individual or from the Government such roads mubt be constructed to the satisfaction of the local authority ; that the Public Health Act be amended so as to give the local bodies power to prevent the establishment of works whose operations will pollute rivers and streams, or are likely to prove otherwise offensive ; that the Government be asked to have Native lands brought into special rating districts and made amenable to the Local Bodies' Loans Act and Government Loans to Local Bodies Act. Several amendments were suggested in the Dog Registration Act. There was a long debate on the Noxious Weeds Bill, which was approved, and- a motion to make it permissive was defeated by a large majority. A motion was agreed to protesting against the excessive charges imposed on local authorities for the recent land valuation. It was decided to ask the Government to have a clear definition cf "ratepayer" inserted in the Interpretation Act.

August 17.

The County Councils' Conference have passed the following resolutions :— " That the conference are of opinion that in order to provide a portion of the revenue necessary for the purposes of hospital and charitable aid the Government should introduce legislation abolishing £100 of the exemption under the income tax" ; ''That the icoommendation of the Agricultural Conference at Christchurch on the Rabbit Act be endorsed " ; " That a deputation wait on the Minister for Lands to point out the injustice dm\e to local bodies through being compelled to accept the Government valuations instead of being allovred to make their own valuations, and also to point out the excessive cost of Ilia Government valuations as Compared with the last valuation madq by

the local bodies, and to request him to reduce the charges or to give local bodies time in which to pay them. ' A letter was read from the Cyclist Touring Club enclosing a copy of their riding regulations, suggesting that they be regarded as model by-laws, and stating their Avillingness to provide danger boards and finger plates if the various councils would erect and maintain the same. It was decided that the application should be made to the individual county councils.

The conference then closed. The various resolutions passed are to be forwarded to the Premier.