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Inglewood Town Board. —At a meeting of the Inglewood Town Board held last evening the following resolution was passed : That the Inglewood Town Board strongly protests against any interference with its status as a local body, and objects to the clauses in the Counties Bill abolishing Town Boards. We consider it as a retrograde movement in connection with local government.—B. H. Nicholls, Chairman. Johnsonville Town Board. —ln answer to your telegram re Counties Bill, we, the Johnsonville Town District Board, object to such clauses of the Counties Bill which aim at the abolishing of Town Boards. We consider that the passing of the Counties Bill will not be in the interest of the County generally. We are also of opinion that we, as a Town Board, can manage our affairs better than we could possibly expect one representative on a County Council to do for us, and, as our population is over the required number, we would prefer to remain a Town Board. We would recommend that Town Boards be given more power than at present. Also that a County Council be not allowed to levy any greater rate over a town district than it takes to manage the affairs of that town district. An instance —we Johnsonville ratepayers pay to the Hutt County Council three farthings in the pound, whilst we only pay a halfpenny to our Town Board. Trusting your Committee will accept our objections.—G. S. Manson, John Bod. ■Kaikora North Town Board. —Kaikora North Town Board protests against merging into counties. Bequest member support retaining as at present. Add power to have one year's rates overdraft, similar to Boad Boards. —James Collins, Chairman. . Kamo Town Board. —The Kamo Town Board strongly protest against any interference with its status as a local body, and regards the suggestion to abolish Town Boards as a retrograde movement in connection with local government. Further than this, Board heartily co-operate with the Baleigh Town Board in resisting such unnecessary and harassing legislation County Councils at present are cumbersome and expensive in their administration, and to give them rating-power as a borough will still increase the expenses in administration, which we protest against. County Councils take half the rates from Town Boards already, and to give them more rating-power would interfere with the Boards' finances. Town Boards incur little or no expense in administration. This Board protests that, instead of abolishing Town Boards, they should be retained and granted additional power, similar to Borough Councils, and consider they can administer- local funds more equitably and economically than County Councils.—Geo. Hopewell, Town Clerk. Kihikihi Town Board. —The Kihikihi Town Board opposes the abolition of Town Boards, because it is a retrogrode movement in local government. The requirements of the town cannot be managed, from a distance as well as by persons on the spot, and moneys raised in the town will be absorbed by the counties and not be spent in the town. The rate raised in the town being a local rate-, the ratepayers should have the right of spending it. Publis reserves and cemeteries would be neglected under the management of the- Council. In any case the abolition of Town Boards should be decided by a poll of the ratepayers of the town.—W. H. Grace, Chairman. Lethbridge Town Board. —At a public meeting held on the 16th August the following resolution was unanimously passed • That the people of the Lethbridge Town Board strongly protest against any interference with its status as a local body, and regard the suggestion to abolish Town Boards as a retrograde movement in connection with local government. —B. G. Knox, Clerk. Manaia Town Board. —Mass meeting held last night re Counties Bill. Strong indignation expressed at clauses re town districts abolition. Following resolution carried : That this meeting desires to express its entire disapproval with the provisions contained in the clauses of the Counties Bill wherein it is proposed to abolish town districts throughout the colony. We further regard the proposed legislation as a menace to the progress of such districts existing, and calculated to unreasonably increase the rating for no appreciable purpose. Am forwarding petition against Bill through our member.—John Hunt, Chairman. Ngaruawahia Town Board.—The Ngaruawahia Town Board strongly protest against the provisions in Counties Bill re town districts. They are utterly unsuited for this district, and would cause endless complications. Present system works well; proposed changes would be disastrous. T. Dickson, Chairman. ■ Normanby Town Board. —At a meeting of ratepayers held last night the following resolution was passed: That this representative meeting views with alarm the provisions in the Bill now before Parliament which propose to abolish the government of small townships by Town Board Commissioners ; that the latter system has worked well and economically in the interests of ratepayers ; and that, should the government of Normanby lapse into the hands of the larger body which administer the affairs of rural ratepayers, the streets in the town will in all likelihood suffer by the preponderance of attention which will be given to county roads, and the endowments, which have been the loving care of ratepayers and townsmen, will suffer by neglect, and the revenue of the town be expended in a manner contrary to the wishes of the ratepayers.—W. Bowe, Chairman.. Opotiki Town .Board. —People here strongly object to any alterations present management Town Board affairs. Proposed new Counties Bill disfranchises town people, and hands conduct of their business to others. Such a step is in spirit similar to that which caused the South African War. Proposed Bill deprives town ratepayers of the power to rate themselves, and to spend their rates on the improvements of town and wharves, transferring that right to others who have but small interest one way or other. Would respectfully and strongly urge that your Committee carefully preserve their rights to the people.—Stewart Bates, Chairman. .'Opotiki Toivn Board. —Opotiki Town Board strongly objects to legislation which would place affairs of town in other hands than those of representatives elected by town ratepayers, and believes that proposed legislation would be detrimental to best interest of town ratepayers and town district generally, interests of town being separate and distinct from those of country districts, by which,