THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. QUESTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1364, 29 March 1881, Page 2

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. QUESTION.

The following' circular was framed at a meeting of the Manawatu Oounty Council on the 2 1st February last, and ordered to be sent to the various similar bodies throughout the colony with a view to securing their co operation :—: — 1 . That in selling any new block of Crown Land an estimate should be made of the sum per acre required to complete all the roads within such bioo]c, and that as land is sold for cash such sum, be handed over to the County Cpuncil of the district within which the block is situated for expenditure solely on roads within the blocks sold ; and that the G-overnmenb, if necessary for financial reason,' should add to the upset price of the land the amount required for road-making, and guarantee to purchasera that the money so alloted should be spent on the roads in their block by the County Council within threo years from the Bale, and "that the money as received should be handed over at once to the County Council ; that with respect to Referred payment land the whole of the half-yearly instalments should be handed over to the County Council 1 for roadmaking purposes within the/block until one-third of the purchase -money is paid over, as provided in the original Land Act, 1877, clause 59. 2. That the Government should either apportion a sum equal to the amount that would have been payable to Counties and Highway Districts for subsidy on the rates actually collected duiung the year 1879-80, under " The Financial Arrangements Act, 1875," at the rate of so much per mile on the mileage , of completed roads under the jurisdiction of each County and Highway Board, or that an estimate should be made of the total cost of completion of all uncompleted roads already surveyed within the Colony, and that an amount per mile should be paid annually to each body having the control of such roads, the total of which should be equal to the sum that would have been payable in the shape of subsidy to the County Councils and Highway Boards on the rate actually collected during the year 1879-80 under "The Financial Arrangements Act of 1876;" such subsidy to be applied to the construction of new roads only, and to cease when all the roads within any dibtrict or county were completed. 3. That either by reduction of the exemption on the Property Tax to say £100, by the imposition of school fees on all scholars attending- State schools who have passed Standard IV., by the increase ,of the beer duty to 6d. per, gillon, and by the reimposition of the tea and sugar duties, the necessary funds might be easily provided without practically adding to the burdens of the country, aB the money spent in road construction would promote the settlement and progress of the Colony to such an extent that both towns and rural districts would be equally benefited. i. That a subsidy on the rates collected be paid to all Borough Councils or Boards having the exclusive management of townships, the amount to be fixed by the conference hereafter proposed. 5, That if any landed ' endowments were given to i public bodies within : the Colony, eueh land ought not td' be exempted from the deductions made for road work asked for in Clause 1., and 'that any local body should have at its option power to .commute its subsidy on a scale to be fixed for an endowment of land,. 1 6. That a' conference of delegates jjro/m County Councils, IJighway Hoards, * and BoroughiCouncils' (should meet at Wellington before the ssessiqn, on the first Wednesday in May next}, place of meeting, &0., to be arranged. , 7. .That no delegate is to be considered to be bound by any, or all of the term* , of this circular unless by instruction, from the body he represents, and that the mere, sending a, delegate should not , be [considered aa an acceptance by the local body of the terms of this circular. 8. That "The Rating Act, 1876" should be so amended as to enable valuations to be mads once in three years, and by the County Council of, the district only, which body should have, power to adjust the valuation lisb annuajlyin cases .where change of ownership r or .omission in the valuation list rendered saoh,adjustments necessary; Boroughs to make their own valuation lift as at present.

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