3

H.—s

The Conference then resumed its sitting. It was resolved that the business to be laid before the Conference on Wednesday, the Bth instant, should be taken in the following order—namely : (1.) Consideration of report of committee. (2.) Election of officers. (3.) Correspondence inwards and outwards. (4.) Reading of papers. (5.) Notices of motion in the following order —namely, (a) Constitutional; (b) Rating; (c) Miscellaneous. And that the order paper showing the aforesaid business should be printed. Resolved, "That this Conference do now adjourn until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the Bth instant.

Wednesday, Bth August, 1894. The Conference resumed its sitting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the Bth August. Present: Mr. Majendie (Chairman), Messrs. Phillips, Yon Reden, Bolton, Kebbell, Engels, Lang, Forsyth, Peat, Field, Monkhouse, Laird, Sommerville, McNab, Eraser, and Wilson. Proposed by Mr. Phillips, seconded by Mr. McNab, "That the minutes of the first meeting of the Conference as read be confirmed."—Carried. Proposed by Mr. Majendie, seconded by Mr. Phillips, "That the report of the committee be adopted, subject to Mr. Kebbell's notice of motion being incorporated therewith." —Carried. Proposed by Mr. Kebbell, seconded by Mr. Yon. Reden, " That all notices of motion for the annual Conference be sent in to the secretary not later than the first day of May in each year, in order that the committee may distribute the order paper in time for the June meeting of the different Councils."—Carried. The election of officers resulted as follows : President, Mr. Yon Reden; Vice-Presidents, Messrs. W. Fraser, M.H.R., and F. W. Lang, M.H.R.; Treasurer, Mr. Majendie; Auditor, Mr. Field; Committee, Messrs. Wilson, M.H.R., McNab, M.H.R., Kebbell, Bolton, Laird, Monkhouse, and Coleman Phillips. The newly-elected President then took the chair, and expressed the hope that the efforts of the association would result in an improved state of local government. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Majendie for having occupied the chair, and to the Hutt County Council for granting the Conference the use of their building for meetings. Mr. Lang asked the Chairman's ruling as to the number of votes exercisable by a delegate who represented more than one county, and the Chairman ruled that a delegate was entitled to one vote for each county he represented. Proposed by Mr. Engels, seconded by Mr. Bolton, " That notices of motion take precedence of correspondence." —Carried.. Resolved, " That Mr. Phillips's notice of motion be put down to the bottom of the orderpaper." The President moved, " That, in the opinion of this Conference, the Counties Act should be so amended as to give counties power to make all roads in a merged district county roads, with a six-farthing rating-power." The motion was seconded by Mr. Majendie pro forma, and, after a short debate, was lost. The President moved, " That, in the opinion of this Conference, the law should be amended so that a Council could take action upon a resolution of a Road Board in favour of merging, provision being made to render the resolution inoperative upon a petition against the proposal, signed by a certain proportion of the ratepayers interested, being duly lodged with the Council." The motion was seconded by Mr. Bolton and carried. The President also moved, " That, in the opinion of this Conference, the Counties Act should be so amended that the current rate-roll could be used for purposes of elections, and a voting-roll made up from that, including the names of those ratepayers in a riding who have then paid all rates lawfully demanded. Any ratepayer who pays on the day the election takes place, or who, voting at a distant booth, produces a receipt for all rates then due, should be allowed to vote." Mr. Kebbell seconded the motion, which was carried. On the motion of Mr. Coleman Phillips, on behalf of Mr. Fraser, seconded by Mr. Majendie, it was decided, "That this Conference requests the Government to take steps during this session of Parliament to empower local bodies to pay their respective shares of all expenses in connection with the meeting of this Conference." Mr. G. N. Engels moved, " That this Conference is of opinion that all ratepayers should have the same voting-power—one ratepayer one vote." Mr. Kebbell seconded the motion pro forma. Mr. McNab moved, as an amendment, "That no ratepayer shall have more than three votes." The amendment was seconded by Mr. Monkhouse, and was lost, and the original resolution was also lost. Mr. Kebbell moved, " That the hospitals and charitable aid question is in such an unsatisfactory position that the Government be urged to deal with the subject this session as a matter of urgency ; failing this, that no amendments be made in the present Act." ■ The motion found a seconder in Mr. Engels. Mr. McNab proposed, as an amendment, and it was seconded by Mr. Phillips, " That all the words after ' urgency' be struck out, and the words 'this session.' The amendment was carried. Mr. S. Forsyth moved, " That the law be amended so as to enable local bodies to pay interest on loans under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act out of general rate. The motion was seconded by Mr. Kebbell, and carried. Mr. S. Bolton moved, " That the Government be requested to amend the Land Act so that the ' thirds ' derived from Crown lands sold or leased be paid in a lump sum instead of annually." Mr. Majendie seconded the motion, which was lost.