Municipal Conference.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7663, 25 June 1896, Page 2

Municipal Conference.

Wellington, last night-. The Municipal Conference has resolved that it is desirable that the highest ongineera' ability and advice available ia the colony should be at the disposal of the affiliated Councils of the Association, and that the Exeoutive Committee be requested to ascertain if it is practicable to retain the services of the best engineering talent at a stated fee on application from the Borough Councils ; that no alteration .should be made to the provision of the Public Bodies Powers Act, which leaves it optional for local bodios to adopt the Act; that extended power be ' given to make or amend the provisions of section 359 of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1886 ; that local Boards of Health be empowered to order the isolation of any person or persons suffering from any infectious disease ; that the Bating -Act be amended to obviate the present difficulty which exists in connection with selling ■ properties for non payment of rates ; that the Government publish in the year book' the population of boroughs ; that the Government be urged to make every effort to pass this session a Municipal Corporations Consolidation Bill, so that suggestions from this and previous conferences may become : operative; that the Public Works Act requir- ' ing owners of frontages to clear gorse to the' middle of the road be extended to boroughs. A motion that the next conference be held in Auckland was lost, and the question was referred to the executive. The conference closed this afternoon. The delegates will ■' be entertained at luncheon by the Governor on Friday. To-day. — The Municipal Conference de-< cided to hold the next conference in Wellington, the executive to decide whether it is necessary to meet next year. The balance- ' sheet shows a credit of £92 17s <sd, and was , adopted. The salary of the secretary, Mr' T. F. Martin, was increased to £75. The election of officers resnlted: President, the Mayor of Wellington ; Vice Presidents, the ' Mayors of Auckland, Christohurch, Dunedin, and Nelson ; Executive Committee, the President and Vice Presidents, the Mayors of Ashburton, Petone, Napier, and Lower , Hutt_, Councillors Gray (Chriatchuroh), Harris (Wellington), and Baylis (Melrose) ; Auditor, Mr Harcourt (Wellington), Trea« surer and Counsel, Mr Martin. This concluded the business of the conference.