LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

Waipa Post, Volume III, Issue 111, 17 May 1912, Page 3

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES AT HAMILTON.

A conference of delegates representing the various local bodies in the Waikato was held in the office of the Waikato Hospital Board yesterday. There were present .—Messrs J. P. Bailey, G. Loveday, Scholes, Mors, J. Fisher, Teasdale,' Ryburn, T. Clarkin, King, Johnstone, Keeley, Dr Reekie, Anderson, Poland, Bright, Ward, Dunsmith, Dodgshun, Manning, Dickinson, Andrews, Parlane, Hinton, Cavanagh, Harris, R. Fisher, Pelham, S. Reid, Coates, White, Elmsly, Newell, Ross, Ahier, Turnwald, G. Kay, Andrews, and Orr. Mr J. P. Bailey was voted to the chair, and in his opening remarks explained that the meeting had been called to consider the provisions of the Local Government Bill, and to appoint two delegates to attend the conference to be held in Wellington on Tuesday next. The discussion which followed showed clearly that the Bill in its present form was not favoured. That a better system of Local Government y was necessary was also evident, but the proposed measure required re-modelling. After several amendments had been considered and voted upon, the following resolution was

carried : —That this conference of delegates representing the local bodies of the Waikato Hospital District is opposed to the passing of the Local Government Bill by reasons (i) that it will aggravate and intensify the evil of centralisation ; (2) that its proposals will, in operation, prove cumbersome, expensive, unsatisfactory and oppressive; (3) that while in-

creasing the cost of local government, it will diminish its efficiency ; (4) that while diminishing the authority of the people, it will increase their financial burdens by imposing fresh and unnecessary taxation. That the delegates appointed by this conference to represent the Waikato Hospital District, the conference to be held in Wellington be in-

structed to act in accordance

with the foregoing resolution. < Six nominations were received for election as delegates, and a ballot elected Messrs Bailey and

Fisher.