THE COUNTY CONFERENCE

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13356, 5 August 1907, Page 7

THE COUNTY CONFERENCE

REPORT OP A DELEGATE. At the meeting of the Mackenzie County Council on Friday, Mr R. Gxrthrie, who represented the Council at the County Conference, gave a report on its proceedings. Mr Guthrie said the Conference sat long hours and he had very iittle spare time. He arrived one morning at 8 and the Conference sat at 10,- it rct« at 4on the last day, and he was on the boat at 6; —he might have stayed longer but he heard there had b.?en a big fall of snow here, and he hurried home. He had previously thought theos conferences unnecssary and useless, but after his experience of one he had decidedly changed his opinion. The Conference was attended by delegates from nearly every county in the colony, and included many clever and earnest men. The Coiiierence had been a valuable education to him in county matters', and he hoped that his attendance would prove beneficial to the county. The first business done was the consideration of the. Local Government Bill, and a good,many remits sent up were dealt with as related "to the Rill. All the remits sent up by this- Council except two were carried.' One of those put aside was the one he had .suggested, that the Valuation Court assessors should inspect properties concerning which objection had b:en mads to the Valuator. The Chairman, Mr J nil, pointed out that though such a" system might work in a closely r.ettled county —like the Levels for instance —the r.sscssois' travelling expenses would be too serious a penalty on the objectors in a backblock district of the large North Island counties." The other remit referred to was about farmers' slaughtering licenses, and that was made unnecessary by the answer he got to a question, Mr Martin, the Association's solicitor, attended the Conference a part of each day to answer legal questions, and he stated that it was unlawful for a farmer to sell meat from a cait unless he had a slaughtering license. A sub-committee went through the model by-laws, and made a few, and but a few alterations in them. One Avas to alter the maximum, fee payable for traction engine and truck licenses from twice to thrice vhe single fee, if the plant works more than one county. It was understood that ihere was no chance of the Government putting the Local Government Bill through this session, the Conference therefore aeked thatcertain urgent mutters ba specially legislated upon, and the Premier promised that it should ba done. Mr Guthrie was a member of a sub-committee -on i rating, and among the proposals agreed to were, that, small grazing runs nhould hz rated on the capital value and pastoral runs as at present, and not in the case of the latter onefifth of the rents hould be paid to the local fjpdi.ls as revenue—a provision that ought to have ban made long ago. A deputation waited on the Premier with the results of the Conference, and it was- evident that Sir Joseph Ward received them with a sense of the value of an examination, of the several matters by men experienced jn local government. Among the questiom put to Mr Martin was one by himself respecting thi Impounding Act, and the answer he received was that the Act did not provide for giving up .stock seized for impounding ; they mwit I>= driven to the pound. A vote of thanks was passed, to Mr Guthrie for his services as delegate, and in responding he remarked that the County Councils of this district have very easy duties compared with those of the North Island, whose affnins are complicated by I Maori interests?.