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1894. NEW ZEALAND.

LOCAL BILLS COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE) ON THE DUNEDIN LOANS CONVERSION BILL, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Brought up 24th August, 1894, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OP REPERENGE. Extract from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Tuesday, the 26th Day op June, 1894. Ordered, " That a Select Committee be appointed, to consist of ten members, to whom all Local Bills shall stand referred after first reading; the Committee to report whether the Standing Orders have been complied with, and to suggest such amendments as it may think proper, and to report when necessary upon the merits of the Bill; the Committee to have power to confer with any Committee appointed for a similar object by the Legislative Council; such Committee to have power to call for persons and papers ; three to form a quorum. The Committee to consist of Mr. Allen, Mr. Bell, Mr. Graham, Mr. Guinness, Mr. Joyce, Mr. T. Mackenzie, Mr. Maslin, Mr. Massey, Mr. Montgomery, and the mover." —(Hon. Mr. Reeves.)

REPORT. The Local Bills Committee, to whom was referred the above-mentioned Bill, have the honour to report that they have duly considered the same, and find it is a Local Bill, that the Standing Orders have been complied with, and they recommend that it be allowed to proceed, subject to the amendments as shown on a copy of the Bill attached hereto. The Committee also report that they took the evidence of the Mayor of Dunedin, a copy of which is attached hereto. A. E. Guinness, 24th August, 1894. Chairman.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

Tuesday, 21st August, 1894.—(Mr. Guinness, Chairman.) Mr. H. S. Fish, Mayor of Dunedin, examined. 1. The Chairman.] The Committee are prepared, Mr. Fish, to hear your evidence ?—I suppose it may be as well to say, first, a few words as to the reasons which have induced the Corporation of Dunedin to promote this Bill. The causes which have operated in this direction are simply these : For the last ten years the revenue of the Corporation has been decreasing through the decreased valuation of city property, so that at the present time, as against ten years ago, our revenue from rates is more than £2,000 per annum less than it was at the period to which I have just referred. On the other hand, we have had burthens placed on us, in common with other local bodies, tc a considerable amount. As for example, eight years ago we contributed about £450 to charitable aid. That has been going on increasing, until last year it totalled up to £3,000. Thus, we have a decreased revenue of £2,000 from rates ; in addition to this, at the recent licensing meeting we lost some £1,800 in license-fees, with further prospective losses in rates, resulting from public-house property being rated less for next year than it is for the present year. We will also lose a further sum in respect of gas- and water-rates. Altogether we shall lose in the next rating year, commencing from the 31st March next, a sum of £2,500, making in all about £7,500 per annum difference in our revenue to what it was at the period mentioned. There is no immediate prospect of the rates increasing—it is not at all likely that they will. The result is that our revenue fails to meet our expenditure by some £5,000 or £6,000 per annum. There is only one way of meeting that difficulty, none other that I can see, except by some such means as are proposed in this Bill, or by increasing the rates from 6d. to 9d. in the pound. The Corporation feels very keenly that at a time such as this, with, the I—l. 7.