NEW MUNICIPAL LAW

Southland Times, Issue 22295, 10 April 1934, Page 6

NEW MUNICIPAL LAW

OPERATION FROM APRIL 1. TRIENNIAL ELECTIONS. Two of the weightiest and most elaborate pieces of legislation passed by Parliament last session, the Companies Act and the Municipal Corporations Act, both came into force on. the first day of the present month. Widespread attention has already been drawn to the new provisions of the Companies Act, but the Municipal Corporations Act has so far attracted little notice. Though the Municipal Corporations Act contains 393 clauses extending over 181 pages, very few of its provisions are of public interest. The Act in general adopted the scheme of the 1920 Act, but a considerable amount of redrafting was done for the sake of consistency and accuracy of expression and convenience of reference. It is chiefly a consolidating measure, but it contains a number of additions to the previous law to remedy defects and to meet pre-sent-day requirements of local authorities. The provision of most general interest in the Act is that which makes the election of Mayor and councillors a triennial instead of a biennial event. The first election under the new system will take place on the first Wednesday in May, 1935. The most contentious clause in the Bill as originally presented to the House was that which provided for the compulsory amalgamation of boroughs by the Governor-General upon the recommendation of a special commission. As a result of the opposition aroused against this proposal it was dropped from the final draft of the Bill. One of the clauses gives municipalities certain powers, which they did not possess before, to lay out grass plots or flower beds and protect them. Another restricts the demands that may be made ,on landowners to construct private drains, and another extends the powers of councils to deal with dangerous buildings. The great majority of the clauses deal with the internal management of municipal affairs, rules of procedure at meetings, manner of levying of rates, keeping of accounts, and the powers of councils generally, and they are therefore of concern chiefly to Mayors, members of councils and municipal officers.