COUNTIES ASSOCIATION

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXV, Issue 11755, 19 August 1913, Page 5

COUNTIES ASSOCIATION

CONFERENCE OPENED. TOWN AND DRAIN AGIO BOARDS QUESTION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The annual conference of the NewZealand Counties Association commenced to-day, Mr A . E. .lull, of Waipawa, presiding. In addressing the conference, tho Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. H. D. Bell) asked if the conference wished to abolish town boards. Before the -delegates answered they would have to consider the wishes of the smaller local bodies. lie referred to the requirements of what might be termed villages, where people resided close together, as distinct from farmers. Personally he believed that an attempt to abolish the rights of these smaller collections of shops and houses who managed their own affairs would meet with very great opposition. Then again, diil the conference wish to abolish drainage boards.' It was the Minister's belief that the large number of districts that combined to drain particular areas would greatly resent the transference of their powers to the counties.