COUNTY COUNCILS'CONFERFNCE. WELLINGTON, July 16.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 27

COUNTY COUNCILS'CONFERFNCE. WELLINGTON, July 16.

! Tho County Councils' Conference opened to-day, and immediately proceeded to d'Ccr.ss the Counties Bill. There was con- ! nderable debate on the proposed constitu- , tion of districts, and in this connection i clause 2 was stmck out. On the clausa j providing that every new county shall bo divided into nine ridi.igs, a proposal that 15 ridings be was agreed to. A j number of delegates urged thpt in the ! const!t"tion of new rid'ngs rateable value as \rell as population should be taken into account, v.nd with a view to making piovision to thi.s eli'ect clause 7 v/as struck out, gnd a new* clause to replace the one deleted will be diafted by the Revising Committee. The conference resolved to recommend a reduction of the area comprising town districts. A resolution wes moved in the direction of abolishing road districts in older to save the expen.se of dual administration. Sir George Cliff cid and several delegates expicf-scd a hope that the provisions of the bill with regard to road districts would not be interfered with. Others thought that where county councils «;.nd road boards overlapped each other .'■.omDtMnjj should be done. The question, was [.till under discussion v.*hen the Tonfeienoo adjourned. July 17. The Counties' Conference met this morning, and after much debate on the proposal to abohs-h road boards, an amendment by Mr Lang was adopted in favour of en abling icUepayers of a county to decide by poll which iorm of local government they desire. On the franchise question ii> was resolved to revert to the qualification under the Counties Act of 1886. The county chairmen's emolument was fixed at £100," instead of £400 as prescribed the bill. It was- suggested that the minimum number of councillors be excised, and the number left at 15. The conference affirmed the j^rinciple of triennial instead of biennial elections. The Conn-ties' Conference has resolved that the conference would prefer that if town districts are abolished as self-govern-ing bodies, counties shall have power, on petition, to define a township district, and have power to delegate the management of such district to a committee of five elected by the ratepayers. On reaching that part of the bill relating to finance, it was re.'olved to recommend the inclusion of a new clause, that one-half the proceeds of thcl ?■ tie of standing timber on Crown lands be paid to the County Council where such Crown land is situated. A resolution was parsed urging on the Government the de-s-iubihty of making further subsidies 'to local bodies. July IS. The Counties' Conference made gond progress with their review of the Counties Bill this morning, but there are still over 200 clause's to consider. It was resolved that the Revising Committee be instructed to make it quite clear that local bodies will still have power to borrow under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act. The conference unanimously agreed that the returning officer and clerk to the licensing . colnmittee should be appointed by the county council or councils concerned, instead of by the Government. The amount available for extraordinary expenditure was increased from £50 to £100. The conference spent a cons : derable time discussing part 25 of the bill giving county councils tributary powers for dealing witb roads, their" construction and maintenance, outside* the Public Works Act. Several^" clauses which were considered too stringent were struck out. The chief question was how town districts and rural districts would be respectively affected by certain clauses referring to the cutting-up of land into allotments and roa.ding it. Section 200, providing that in certain cases the Government may declare a road in a borough to be a county road, was struck out. The conference was unanimous on this point. Tha conference also resolved to strike out clause 220, making a county council liable to penalties for laying out roads less than the legal width. July 19. The Count.es" Conftrence, amongst othei amendments to the bill, this morning agreed 111 it power be taken to compel owners oi land to have the bush felled within a chain of the boundaiies of roads, where it in volves d.ingei to the road or to the travelling public. The pioposal to strike out the piovision for toll <<ates on roads was negatived, but funeral processions were exempted fiom toll.-. Piggeries are not included in the list of general nuisances. It was fuither decided that counties be given the same poweis t>« boroughs in regard to nuisance^. The conference took up the discussion of the by -law rel-uiug to heavy traffic on coi.ntv loads. It was resolved that the Rtvising Committee be instiucted tc incoiporate m clause 332 the provisions oi the Public Woiks Act relating to heavy traffic, computation of weights, etc., that are omitted from the present bill. In subsection 3, clause 335. the license fee for hawker or pedlar was permitted to be a? high as £5. A committee was asked to r seer tain whether there is provision made foi the purchase of land for" cemetery purposes. The whole of the schedules in the new bill were referred to a committee to alter in accordance with the resolutions ■which have been passed. July 20. lhe Counties Conference adopted this morning the following motions : — " (1) TLat the Government be asked ti> amend the Rating Act in the direction tlwr special loans be raised on the unimpn.ved value ; (2) that the time h.i-* aiuvcd v\hei)

Natives should be liable for full rates, and not only half as at present ; (3) that rating on all Native lands where the title has been ascertained should be the same as on that owned and occupied by other persons in the colony, and that the person whose name first appears on the list of owners shall be the person to sue for all rates due. also that Native lands should be included in a special rating district where it is shown that such lands are benefited by the expenditure of special rates ; (4) that power be given to local bodies to pay interest on •special loans and special districts out of the ordinary revenue of such special districts ; (5) that a clause be inserted to make lands included in a special district and afterwards passing into the hands of Natives liable for a special rate." The conference recorded the opinion that Crown lands in special districts should be made liable for rates. A resolution was carried protesting against the practice pursued by the Audit Department in dealing with statutory balance sheets of treating separate accounts. It was resolved that there should be a board of review relating to the land tax valuations, such boards to consist of the .stipendiary magistrate and two qualified men of local experience. Another resolution declared that the Valuation of Land Act in its operation has proved very unsatisfactory, and it is essential either the act be repealed or thoroughly competent valuers be appointed, a fair definition of improvements be inserted in the act, and the present excessive charges to local bodies be amended. Another resolution expressed the opinion that the Government should make some concessions in the matter of travelling expenses of members attending future conferences. July 22. A deputation, comprising several members of the Counties' Conference, interviewed the Premier and presented him with a copy of the resolutions arrived at by the conference. It was explained that the chief recommendations of the conference were with regard to the franchise, finance, road districts, town districts, and the question of rating Native lands. A hope was expiessed that due weight would be given to the recommendations of the conference, which has been thoroughly representative. Some speakers said the conference was generally satisfied with the bill as introduced, but they hoped road boards would not be wiped out where they were working amicably with county councils. The Premier thanked the members of the conference for the consideratior they had given t&e measure. There had, he recognised, been a disposition to overcome difficulties, an*t the recommendations wou'd receive the fairest consideration at the hands of the Government. He did not think the franchise proposals in the bill were too fdfr in advance of public opinion. Regarding road boards, he was not in favour of removing the machinery where it was working well. Turning to 'finance, he promised tkifc Parliament, where it could be safely cifcne, would prefer that local bodies should carry out minor works. He also thought there should be some classification of Native land for rating purposes.