County Councils Conference.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5337, 15 August 1895, Page 1

County Councils Conference.

— ♦ [Pks Pbbsb Association. 1 WELLINGTON, August 14. The County Counoil conference carried a resolution suggesting technical amendments in the Counties Act. Resolutions were carried that the Government should be requested to vest all public, reserves, domains, cemeteries, &c, in the name of the local authority ; that local authorities should be consulted in the laying out of roads which they are called upon to make and maintain} that Native lands, the title of which has been ascertained and the relative interest of ownersLdefined, situated within five miles of a legally defined road, should be liable to contribute full general, separate and apecial works rates ; that the Rating Act should be amended to enable- bounty authorities to collect rates upon the value of timber, &c, growing upon the land when persons acquiring the right to cut timber were not owners of the land; that unpaid rates on Crown lands which had been leased or sold and were forfeited should ba I first charged upon the land ; that local ' bodiea. should be informed immediately any Crown lands were alienated ; that no borough should be formed with a leas population than 2000* and that it muat not have an area of more than one square mile to every 1000 of population j that the Government should be requested not to proceed beyond the second reading of the Local Government Bill this session, in order to enable local bodies to express an opinion thereon before it paßses into law. A proposal that game licenses should be county revenue was negatived. A recommendation was carried that the Rating Act should be amended to make the occupiers of small grazing runs pay the same rates as ordinary leaseholders ; that the Loans to Local Bodiea Act should ba amended to give local bodies- power to raise loana for ( re-metalling worn-out roads, and that the necessary majority should be a majority of the votas exerciseable On two-thirds of the cost; that where special rating area, defined for loan purposes under the Loans to Local Bodies Aot, or part of such area, is subsequently included within the boundaries of anew county, the latter shall have power to levy and collect the original epecial rat© made as security for the loans ; that the conference protests against legislation that will enable non-ratepayers to vote on matters affecting local government; that the conference regrets the delay in bringing down the Local Government Bill, which has prevented this representative gathering discussing 'it. The conference adjourned till to-morrow. •■'•■r.r.