MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9307, 6 August 1908, Page 4

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

[Pbb Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August 5. [ Resolutions were adopted as follows; . — That Councils shall have power to take waterworks, gasworks or electric ; light works under the Public Works Act. That judgments for rates ehould I be made a first charge on land. That • where rating is on the unimproved > value the refund of rates on unoccupied : dwellings should only apply to water f and sanitary rates. That the Rating * Act should be amended so that the 10 per cent penalty shall be part of the ! rates after six months from their due date, and may be recovered as a separ- " ate rate. That the Rating Act be amended to make all lands and build- ! ings mentioned in Section 2 liable to rating when such lands and buildings . are let, leased or used for revenueproducing purposes. , That where r n^unicipal markets are established in h boroughs of not less than 10,000 in- - habitants all auction sales of fish and - fruit be held in such markets. That all i waterworks rates should be rated on > unimproved value. Officers were elected as follows: — 1 President, lion T. W. Hislop, Mayor of Wellington ; vice-presidents, the Mayors, of Auckland, Christchurch Dunedin and Nelson; Executive, the Mayors of Petone, Lower Hutt, Palmerston North, Karori, Onslow, Masterton and Councillor Hindmarsh, Wellington ; secretary, legal adviser and treasurer, Mr T. P. Martin j auditor, Mr A. S. Biss, Wellington. DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August 5. Delegates from the Municipal Conference interviewed Sir Joseph Ward and Dr Findlay this afternoon and laid ; before them the resolutions passed by the Conference. Sir Joseph Ward stated, in regard to superannuation, that the Government expected to get through an amendment of the Act this session, and there was a Bill on the stocks dealing with the superannuation of the employees of local bodies. The Government was going into the whole matter in respect to loans to local bodies. An amendment giving the powers asked for by the Conference was being brought down this session. The Premier snid he was in favour of the municipalisation of gasworks, but they would not get legislation through this session providing for the compulsory acouisition of gasworks. The Hon Dr Findlay, referring to the Corporation Contracts Bill, said the Judges in the Court of Appeal had

more fian once expressed the opinior that the absence of a corporation's sea' ought not in good morality to be raised. _____^_______