COUNTIES’ ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3103, 3 September 1913, Page 81

COUNTIES’ ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

WELLINGTON, August 19. The annual conference of the New Zealand Counties’ Association commenced to-day, Air A. dull, of Waipawa, presiding. In addressing me couterence the Minister of Internal Allaire (the Hon. H. D. Bell) asked if the conference wished to abolish town boards. Before the delegates answeied that they would have to consider the wishes of the smaller local bodies, ho referred to the requirements of what might be termed villages, where people resided close together as distinct from farmers. Personally, he believed that an attempt to abolish tne r.ghts of these smaller collections of shops and houses, which managed their own affaire, would meet with very great opposition. Then, again, did the conierence wish to abolish drainage boards'/ It was the Alinister’s belief that a large number of distr.cts that combined to drain particular areas wou.d greatly resent the transference of their powers to counties. f The conierence adopted the following remits: — , , , “That the Auctioneers Act be amended so that the fees be paid to the district IT O 6, pital and Charitable Aid instead of the local authority as at present. Havtera. “That as the on.y moneys received by many local authorities (including counties) from cemeteries under their control is from the occasional sale of a plot, and seeing that the ba-nks charge a fee of 10s per annum for keeping a bank account, it giiould not bo necessary for the local author.ty to ox>cn a bank account for such moneys, notwithstanding anything that may be contained to the contrary in ‘’The Cemeteries Act, 1908.’ Paparua. “That powers be given to the councils of a borough and a county wnoso boundaries are contiguous to amend such boundaries by mutual consent in the same manner that the councils of two adjacent counties are empowered to amend their county boundaries. —Rangitikei. “ That the roll of county electors should be prepared trienally in April of the year in which the triennial elections take place, and shall during the currency of the triennial period be amended by the county clerk up to within 21 days of 'the election.”—Wairarapa South. “That councils should be empowered to pay the chairman an honorarium not exceeding £IOO per annum in lien of actual travelling expenses as at present. ’ —Wuimca. WELLINGTON, August 20. The Counties’ Association Conference was continued to-day. A remit was carried to the effect that the Customs Act be amended to admit road rollers and road-making machinery free, also that the Government be urged to take off the duty and extra railage on Australian hardwood.

It was decided to ask the Government to make provision in the County Act empowering a council ' to receive deposits in the same manner as is provided by the Municipal Corporations Act. It was resolved that powers similar to those now possessed by the i’ublic Works Department should be conferred on local bodice enabling them, when negotiating for an exchange of roadlines through privateproperty, to take an agreement from the owner or occupier of such property to complete the dedication of the new roadline in exchange for the old line, such agreement to hold and have effect for a period of three years, notwithstanding any change of ownership or occupancy during that period. It was agreed that the attention of the Government be drawn to the fact that, as far as local bodies are concerned, the Stateguaranteed Advances Act has failed in the purpose for which it was created in providing for local bodies the necessary funds from which to draw for the construction of roads and bridges for the development of new country, and failed to fill the wants of counties; also that representation be made to the superintendent of the New Zealand State-guaranteed Advances Office pointing out that great inconvenience would bo saved if; upon the half-yearly demands for the payment of principal and interest in respect of loans which have been granted to local bodies, the name of the particular loan in respect of which each demand is made wore also stated. The conference decided to draw the attention of the Government to the serious inconvenience, and in some cases pecuniary loss, experienced by counties as the result of tlic action of the Commissioners of Crown Lands withholding the monthly statement of Crown lands sold, leased, forfeited, and surrenderee! from the counties within whose boundaries such lands aie situated, and that the conference request the Government to issue instructions that such information bo furnished as heretofore. It was decided that the Government be asked to make some better provision for the work of constructing and maintaining the roads leading to pastoral runs, especially when subdividing the same; also that no person other than a ratepayer ho entitled to vote upon any proposal for the raising of loans, whether for harbour works or for anv other purpose. Mr Davison (Amlin) moved: I hat the present system of election of members of harbour boards be discontinued, and the previous system of election by local bodies be reverted to.” The mover said the present system was cumbersome, expensive, and unfair, especially to the country districts. It gave undue advantage to electors in towns, many of whom directly contributed very little to the cost of harbour boards. —The motion was carried; Short shrift was accorded a remit from the Wairoa and Bruce Councils affirming that the present system force of hospital and charitable aid, boards levying on other local bodies constituting its district for funds towards maintenance of respective institutions be discontinued, and that the cost of administering hospital and charitable institutions be made a charge on the consolidated revenue. The remit was rejected by a large majority. The conference decided that for the purpose of representation on hospital and harbour boards and all other bodies, where practicable, counties, boroughs, and town districts shall have separate representation. and where such representation is not practicable and united representation is necessary the nanch’se posn c-ed by the borough’ or tow: districts shall be the same as that exercised bv a county. The committee set up to consider the questions of subsidies on rates and grants in-aid presented its report. Tr recommended that county councils should receive a uniform subsidy of 6s in the £ on all genera! rates collected up to a prescribed maximum. The committee a ho recommended the setting up of a hoard to divide the dominion

from time to time into districts in connection with the distribution of grante-;n-aid. The board, having given consideration to the present condition of roads, the number of settlors required, access, and other matters, shall allocate such sums as it thinks fit of the amount at its disposal for the purpose of expenditure on such roads as are set out in the allocation. —The report was unanimously adopted. The question of superannuation for employees of local bodies was discussed. —Mr J. Studholme (Ashburton) moved: “That the council may grant out of its funds an annual sum not exceeding £IOO to any employee on his retirement who has served the council faithfully for 25 years.” —A remit from Patea also appeared on the order paper as follows: “That local bodies be empowered to provide for a retiring allowance of half the salary paid to employees for three years before their retirement, this only to be operative after 25 years’ service and to be retrospective in its operation as far as present employees are concerned.” —After discussion the proposals were lost.—Mr Horrell then moved: “That the executive be authorised to confer with the representatives of other local bodies on the question of establishing a superannuation scheme.”—Mr J. Storry (Ellesmere) seconded the motion, which was carried. August 21.

At the Counties’ Association Conference to-day Mr Ryder (Castlepoint) moved: “That the Government be requested to so amend the rating powers of county councils as to give them power to levy on every absentee landowner a rate to be known as the absentees’ rate, which shall consist of an additional percentage, not exceeding 10 per cent., bn every rate and separate rate that may be levied on his property in any year following that in which the owner has not resided within the county for at least six month?.” The mover said that in his county there were a lot of alisentoe ratepayers who did net improve their properties to half the same extent as the resident ratepayers. The result was that the latter wore indirectly taxed to make up for the absentees’ shortcomings. The Chairman : Have you tried rating on unimproved values? Mr Ryder: “Yes, and wo dropped it. We found that the more we improved our properties the higher rose the value of our properties.” He asserted that absentee landlords were a drag on a progressive district. . . , In the genera! discussion that ensued absentee owners were variously referred to. One delegate asserted that they were a curse to the country, while another contended that they very often expended more capital on their land than local owners. It was also pointed out that the remit did not make any distinction between an absentee who improved his land and a neighbour who held for a rise in value. The motion was rejected. Mr Ariel (Otamata) moved —“ That the conference oppose any extension to the local bodies franchise.” He said that a number of people were seeking to have voting for local Ixjdios on the parliamentary franchise. He opposed this as not being suitable to counties which had a largo floating population The extension of the franchise would result in a greater demand for loans and heavier rates. A remit was 'adopted taxing motor cans. This was the subject of a report by a special committee, which recommended an annual tax on motor cars and motor cycles, and submitted a scale of charges ranging from 10s to £3 ; also recommending that the revenue so derived should bo allocated to the hospital boards. Proposa's were also made for die control of drivers and the issue of certificates.

Mr Quin (Egmont) presented a minority report favouring a “'2O per cent, import duty or: motor cars, five shillings per oent. on "motor cycles, to bo paid into the consolidated revenue.

Mr Moore (Makara) moved an amendment in the direction of asking the Government to tax motor cars and devote the revenue with special subsidies to the upkoep,of arterial roads on the basis of their use bv motors.

Mr Staples (Waimairi) moved a further amendment —“ That a tax be collected in the hospital ihstrict, and distributed among the municipahticr and county councils in that district in direct proportion to the rateable value and the area of each, to be expended on the maintenance of arterial roads and their bridges.” Both amendments wore lost, and the motion was passed affirming that an annual tax should be impooed on motors. The remainder of the report was deferred till next conference.

The committee on county boundaries and the merging road districts recommended—(l) That legislation he passed io lessen the number of counties, and in the event of such legislation that community of interest and natural boundaries be the; first consideration. (2) That power he given to enable a portion of a road district to merge into a county, as every encouragement ought, to bo given to abolish dual control, always provided that the proposal is carried by a majority of ratepayers and value.—The report was adopted. A motion by Mr Grinimond (Westland) to amalgamate the various local bodies—hospital, education, and other boards—was defeated in favour of an amendment by Mr Studholmo (Ashburton)—that no local Government Reform Bill will absolutely meet the necessity of the case which docs not provide for a material compulsory reduction of the present number of rural local bodies by merging a number of the smaller bodies into county councils. ADDRESS BY HON. IT. D. BELL. WELLINGTON, August 22. The rating of Native lands was discussed at the Counties’ Association Conference today, when a special committee appointed to consider the subject brought down the following recommendations : (1) That the conference reaffirm the policy of placing Natives and Europeans tin the same footing as regards rating as far as is practicable, (a) That* Native Land Courts or Maori Land Boards be compelled to supply, on reasonable notice, from time to time the correct names and principal owners in any blocks ro county councils, (b) That sect ion 4 of “The Rating Amendment Act, 1910,” be amended to read “Where Native freehold land is vested in a Maori Land Board or public trustee, it shall not ho liable for anv rates thereof in excess of the revenue received by the board or public trustee on behalf of thr Natives inti-rested in the land, irrespective of the source of such revenue.” (2) All unpaid rates in respect of any such land shall be a charge thereon, in favour of the local authority that levied the rate. The recommendations were adopted.

In tile afternoon the conference considered the Counties Amendment Bill, and generally speaking decided in favour of it. Addressing the conference just before it rose, the Hon. H. U. Bell said it was a. serious matter to propose large alterations in the method of the management of local affairs by the people themselves. Regarding finance there were two funds —the Consolidated and Public Works Funds. Both were limited in amount and on both there were enormous claims. Ihe Government could only borrow so much a year, and of this a proportion must go to public works, ah varices to settlers and workers, the building of schools, etc. The amount available for grants was limited by the amount the Government could borrow and by the balance remaining after satisfying the Public Works Fund. The demand in the resolution regarding subsidies was limited only by the amount the counties rated themselves and the value of land. There did not appear to bo any estimate of what change would result to revenue. That estimate must bo made before any answer could be given os to whether the Government could give a subsidy on the basis the conference proposed. If they increased the rates they would increase the quantum of subsidy. Regarding classification, ho had the advantage of knowing the Australian system. .Still the proposals of the conference. added to the effect of the method in New South Wales, should have weight with the Government in inducing it to submit a basis on which aid should be g : ven to districts which required something more than the annual subsidy. However, ho con'd not speak further on this, as it was a matter of a policy, not detail. The Government had strong views with regard to the reduction of the number of local bodies, and intended submitting a process in detail for local government and administration throughout the dominion. He would endeavour to carry out the suggestions of the conference with regard to drainage in the Counties Bill. He did not agree that roads ehou'd be vested in the councils in fee simple, nor that they should be closed when a more convenient road was made. The Government would bo largely guided in-many matters by the advice of the conference.