TRADING UNDERTAKINGS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10890, 18 July 1928, Page 5

TRADING UNDERTAKINGS

MUNICIPAL FRANCHISE QUALIFICATIONS OF COUNCILLORS. A large number of amendments, many of them suggested by the Municipal Conference, are included in the Alunicipal Corporations Amendment Bill read a first time in the House of Representatives'yesterday. The municipal franchise is affected to the extent that if voters holding the residential quantification only do no vote at the election of a council they shall not be included on the new roll unless they make direct application The section in the principal Act (1920) requiring a Magistrate to hold an inquiry into an election on the petition of a candidate and a number of the electors is repealed . The position which has debarred many public men from entering local politics by reason of possible business associations with the local bodies is eased to tlie extent that a member of a council may accept a contract up to £lO or two more contracts not exceeding £25, the Audit Office, on the application of the, council, having the right in special circumstances to increase tile limit to £SO. An interest in any loan raised by the council or in any newspaper in which the council inserts advertisements or in a lease granted by the council is not to constitute a disqualification from holding office. Provision is made for the payment to a newly-elected Alayor or member of the councill for work done prior to election.

Tlie date for the election of Alayors and councils is altered by the Bill from the last AVednesday in April to 'the first Wednesday in May. The Bill provides that if the same person is elected as Alayor and as a councillor of any borough on the same day lie shall be deemed to have vacated his office as a councillor and the highest on tlie list of unsuccessful candiidates is to lie appointed in his stead. Councils are to be empowered to enter into contracts up to three years with any of their servants with respeef to tenure of office. Power is given to the local bodies to subsidise sick benefit funds establilied by tlieir employees, the authority under the Bill in this connection being antedated to April 1 of this year.

The control over halls and other places of entertainment is to be strengthened to the extent that the councils may attach conditions to the licenses and withhold or cancel a license on the grounds of the licensee’s bad conduct. The l ight of appeal to the Supreme Court is given. The Bill requires that councils shall maintain a profit and loss account with respect to their trading undertakings. Provision is to be made for charging depreciation in respect of the mntertakings the fund thus created to lie held by three commissioners, who are to invest the fund and hold it for making renewals to the plant. They may also use the money for making advances to the council for the extension of the undertaking concerned. Another section gives councils power to make by-laws defining residential and business zones, and regulating or prohibiting the use of the area for outside these purposes.