The County Council Conference.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 204, 19 September 1894, Page 2

The County Council Conference.

Report by Cr Bolton. At the last meeting of the Pahiatua County Council the chairman read the following report of the proceedings *1 the • recent Conferee • of trie representatives of the Couaty Councils: As our Counetl received no aotiee of meeting of the Conference, only receiving the information myseif trie evening sifter our meeting, there was no opportunity of taking the Council’s opinion as to the aivis*blancis or not of oemg repressstsi, I decided, after consulting with several Councillors, to prooecd to iho Conference. The proceedings were reported at seine length in the New Zealand Times, as I intend only to dee* wit i a few of the questions that came before ue. A recommendation with regard to the Loans to Local Bodies Act to mitigate the evil of absenteeism was carried by a majority of 2thirda of vote* cast in place of the pt event • nactment. This would compel opponents to lose proposals to go to the poll. A long discussion was caused by a recoin | inendation to create a fund for the restoration of bridges on County roads. The urgency of this is perhspe felt more in elder eountiee than in ours, but the time will come when some of our older ! bridges will require large expend, tart m the way of repairs and a vary long dslay woeld be entailed befsre a bridge could be replaced or renewed. I opposed a pro - posal to create as insurance fund by an ; annual rate, considering that until the need arose the mossy was better in the pockets of the ratepsvers. The idea is a good on#, and tbs discussion it caused may eventually lead to useful legislation. Revenue derived from land received a considerable amount of attentiou I wish I to draw Councillors stteatioa to ths necee--1 sitj before the meeting ef an >lber Conference of proposing several amendments I n the Land Act deahag with tb.rda. At present local bodies have no chock whatever on the Commisaioners or the j Receivers of Land Revenue. An instance i ef this appears in our last list of thirds. ; The present system, m eur district at any rate, is very unsatisfactory. Either tns j local bodies who are asgminted w*:c tns features of ths country, sr the Commissioner. whose acquaintance with mem st present is chiedy confined to plans '<•*«- liful plans in many cesea. but giving no idea of the difficulties of reeding). should be both responsible and expend the fands. j On% of the m*>si important recommendations made by ths C .inference was in regard to the overdrafts of loeai bodies. It is vsry certain that the new Counties j Aet will contain an alteration in the guarantee given by the Government to :he banks. Xs to overdrafts, ceming • ersais cast their shadows before them ; , the limit and conditions being materially I altered, must entail a hardship on those very bodies that can worst stand it. At present s large number of local bodies have what is really s perms nr a: loan at overdrafts rates. The proposal made was , to son veil this loan into a 5 per cent. Go--1 vernmeet Loan to Local Belies, which would extinguish in 26 years the overdraft and be s great relief at present and considsrable gain in the long run. Attached to this wa» a prov so that theieafter tan local bodies could only overdraw to the amount of revenue uncoils* ted at dale. The Premier. I see, considered this too large au order. Seeing that members ! of locsl bodies give their ter vise*, which, to ear the least of it. is s c nsidsrs'; le tax on them both m money and time. free, it is only just that the difficult.#* a ths way | of their properly carrying out their duties and functions should be minimised as much »s possible. I feel s ire had the Conference met at any earlier da.e. as it is proposed they should next - ear. more alien- ! tion would have been paid to their recommendations. A; present a good deal of doubt may be fe’: as to tae weight of County Councils. Other eouibiaei.une far less numerous and far .ess representative have made themselves felt in toes# colonies, so it, I think, only rests w.ifi the Counties to fully support the Association :o be able to infiucnce legislation with regard to local government. Amongst other questions discussed, the Noxious Wee is Bill showed how hard it is to frame a bill suitable to all portions of toe Colony. The Bill as si present woeld have to be treated as s deal letter, or else it would cause great hardship in many c.*sss. The Rating on Unimproved Value Bill was also ditrussed. Tee present Bill, unices amended, can in verv few rases be brought etc force a* ihe majority is the sains as for loans. I opposed a preposition to make rating on unimproved value esmpulsory. thinking it should be left in the hands of tne ratepayers, in* limit ef rating power not producing in our county ss much revenue as si present, the wants increasing annually, and the revenue being Practically stationary. Prior to the next meeting of the Association the preposed amendments ms j. by tits various Couaty Councils are to be ssat to eaeu of the Councils for consideration and to instruct their delegate* thereon.