THE MINISTER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 20 August 1913, Page 5

THE MINISTER.

QUESTION OF DEVOLUTION. The president announced that the executive had invited the Prime Minister and the Minister for Internal Affairs to attend the opening conference, but the Hon. W. t\ Jlassey had written that it was not possible for him to attend owing to the extreme pressure of Parliamentary duties." The Hon. H. D. Bell, who had arrived during. the president's report, said that ho came there to liston and to learn, rather .than to speak and teach. Within a very short time of his taking charge of the great Department of local government, no appointed an assistant undersecretary (Mr. Newton), to attend solely, to tho Department of'local government, and had thus met by anticipation the desire of the executive. The president had asked him to say what the intentions of; the Government were with regard to local government, but that was a matter for the Prime Minister and not himself,

Did tho conference wish to abolish Town Boards? Before they answered they should consider how anxiously a number of people as close together in ' scattered counties were seeking,for a measure of administration which would enable them to help themselves to those matters which were not within the purview of a county. Ho meant such things as house .drainage, lighting, smaller roads, and finances, for villages where the people resided close together, as distinguished from tho fanners, who formed the backbone of a county association. An attentat to abolish tho right of the smaller collections of shops and houses who managed their own affairs would meet with very ..great opposition. Did they want to abolish Drainage Boards? A largo number of tho t districts wlio combined together to chain their .particular area would greatly resent tho transference to the county of the sole duty, of determining whether that area e/hould bo drained by special rate or not. Did they want to abolish the River Boards? Against such abolition the people whose properties were attacked by the rivers, who had established methods by which the rivers could Ik kept within bounds, wero by 110 means content to transfer tlio .'control to the larger body which had to deal not only with the dangerous river, but with all the streams in tho comity. Did they want to abolish Harbour lioards? , , , , The President: We don't want to have anything to do with them.

Position of Road Boards. The Minister, continuing, said that they might bo able to devise a better method than was devised b.y the Act, which established a joint provision for hospital and charity aid, and tho abolition of the Road Boards was a matter which the counties I had in their own hands. If there was to be any devolution of local government, siirelv tho question whether Road Boards should continue was a local matter, afldshould be determined by _ the representatives'of local administration rather than by Government. The present Government, at any rate, did not desiro to interfere with, or to reform against their will, the administration or control of local government. The Coming Bill. He did not say the. Government had no plan of simplification, because tljsy had; but no plan would be adopted which would take from the people of the' Smaller localities the right of determining for themselves in wli.it form their money sliould bo spent. He hoped the following afternoon to lay before them tho Bui containing that which the Government proposed to submit to Parliament on their past remits. In conclusion the Minister asked to bo allowed to remain-during the discussion, and assured the conferenco that everything they said would be considered bv the Government. The president, in thanking Mr. Bell for his address,, said that it was always, difficult to persuade a local body that it was

regarded as an excrescence, an<l if they waited until such a body agreed to its. own decapitation it would be a long timo before they got the improvements they needed. GENERAL BU3INESS. THE REMITS FROM DISTRICTS. The treasurer, ill submitting his balancesheet, said that on May 31 there was a credit balance of ,£BO 19s. 2d., and liabilities of' ,£36. ■ Othtr assets brought up the total credit'to .£72 4s. 2d., and since then the branches had paid their 'Calls and they had now- over. .£3OO in, hand. The first 'series of remits applied to the Appropriation' Act, and it was deoided to discuss these seven en bloc. Mr. Mooto (Carterton), speaking on tho principle upon which subsidy on rates was paid, suggested that .the fund .should be supplemented by a heavy tax on motorcars, remarking that it was to the interests of drivers that they should have good main roads* A voico: How many ears have you? Mr. Moore: I have only one, but 1 hope to have another soon. Mr. J. G. Wilson contended that they should givo aid to the new districts and ought to supply the best roads and the best communications to the people m the back-blocks, who. were' the people the Government and the'colony ought to consider. .. ~ . ~ j ■ Tho delegate' from Jiorth Auckland.; in''his'aistri<!t_th6roads were as bad as any in Ivew Zealand, and tine putting down of metal cost 12s. Gd. a squaro yard,, and more, if it had to heVarted' any. disftaW." He ;adyoeated that the subsidy should be paid according to the needs of the community. v Mr. W. D. S. Mac Donald, M.P. (Whakatane) thought the Government should subsidise the local governing body. ./The towns paying ~£lO to .£SO an acre had to pay rates for the upkeep of the roads carrying tho traffic of the back-blocks. He suggested a committed being- formed to consider the various remits on that question. The luncheon interval was then taken, during which a photograph of the delegates was taken in front of the Parliament Buildings. On resuming, it was decided that tho following committee be empowered to consider'the seven remits on the Appropriation Act and to Teport later to tlio conference Messrs. Jull (Waipawa), Tliom-

son (Kodney), G. V. Pearoo (Patea), Gow (Opotiki), Cornelius (Pahiatua), Wilson (Manawatu), Slade (Hobson), Middleton (Southland), Clarke (Clutha), llhodcs (Waimate), Everett (Waimea), Bruco (Ak>aroft), Grimmond (Westland), and Davison (Aniuri), it being understood that those delegates who had remits should be allowed to go before the committee and give their opinions. ■ Resolution of-Condolence. ! A resolution of condolence was passed with the widow of'the late Mr, S. J. Oarman, vice-president of the association,' \\ J ho was for some years an active member of the executive, - : i Auctioneers' Act. Thero wero two remits with regard to auctioneers' license, fees,, one being that they should be-paid to;, the District Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards, instead c<f to the local authority, and the other that they Should be paid to the County .Councils.: The latter was taken as an amendment, and v/as defeated on a division, tho .former romit being then declared carried. . . Cemeteries Act. It was decided that owing to the bank charge of. 10s. per annum, it should not be necessary for a local authority to open an account under the Cemeteries Act. Counties Act. . There were no fewer than 3G separate Remits dealing with the Counties Act, 6ome of them recommending a reduction in the number of counties, and most of them .TOt'o also referred to the above-coastituted committee. A remit that ridings be for representation purposes only, and that.the general expenditure of the county be a charge On tho county fund, was defeated on a division. _ , Two remits with reference to revising the voters' rolls up to 21 days of an election were, agreed to, the president remarking that thero was no reason why the name of a man entitled to a vote should not bo. added between the signature of the magistrate to the roll on July 1 and tho election five months later.

A suggestion from Wostland ' County Council that the chairmen of County Councils should be elected by popular, vote, instead of by the councillors, was defeated by an. ova 'whelming majority. A remit from tho Rangitikei County Council to enable a trustee to exercise his voter-; for the trust estate as well as votes for his own private property was earned on a division alter being declared carried. Mr. Quin (Dltham) proposed a remit that all loan money accounts be kept in the Post Oflice Savings Bank, arguing that instead oi the banks charging them for keeping tho money and declining to let it act as a set-off against an overdraft, the Dominion should have the uso of tho money. Tho remit, however, was defeated.

Mr. T. A. Bridge (Waiinato West) proposed a remit that instead of publishing cbunty balance-sheets in newspapers, they siKxald b3 deposited at a central place, where they could be open for inspection. This was agreed to.

Mr. G. Rutherford (W&ipawa) was successful in passing a remit that power bo given to county councils to purchase land and build houses to encourage small sottiers and workmen to settle in tho country districts, remarking that labour was getting scarcer every year, and such an alteration would encourage married men to remain where they would not stay at present beoa.iipe they had no houses or land to build on. Payment of Councillors. Seven remits were submitted directing that .the chairmen of county councils bo paid J3IOO in lieu of travelling, expense^

and that membars of the council be allowed traveling expenses when on the council's business, .Eventually tho remit, of t!ia County Council .was passed as follows:—"That payment of expenses of county councillors be allowed whenever engaged by direction of the council on the council's business."

.One monll>or asked, "llc.iv many delegates will bo paid for this conference?" and the prcskUnt replied, "You are all perfectly justified in being paid because you ars travelling in t'lie interests of vour councils."

tin the question of the payment of the chairman of the county council, the president explained that at present they could pay the chairman's travelling expenses up to HIOO, but in order to obviate tho necessity of keeping so many detailed receipts it was suggested by tho Wainii County Council, whose chairman's «£")0 for expenses had been surcharged, and had had to be repaid by 'him, that councils be empowered to pay t'lio chairman an honorarium not exceeding ,£IOO, in lieu of. actual travelling expenses at present. Mr. Everett (Waimea) ■ contended' that tho mayor' of a borough, who -was allowed an honorarium, had no more important duties than tiio chairman of a county council.

One member remarked that when those members who voted against that remit had had to "coug;h up" the amount they had been paid for travailing expenses they would vote tho other way.

Tho resolution was then carried, and tlia conferenco was adjourned until 9.30 this morning.