MUNICIPAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1856, 16 September 1913, Page 4

MUNICIPAL.

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION.

TOPICS OF THE HOUR

Municipal matters were discussed at the Toivn llall yesterday at a meeting of the Legislative Committee of tho Municipal Association of New Zealand. Tho Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke) presided, and thero were also present: Messrs. F. Holdsworth (Mayor of Onslow), IS. P. Bunny (Mayor of Lower Hutt), A. 11. Hindmarsh, M.l\, D. M'Laren, and T. F. Martin (secretary). A letter was received from tho Christchurch City Council asking for support to a proposal lor ail amendment of tho Municipal Corporations Bill in the direction of a .clause to provide for proportional voting for Mayor and councillors ill municipal elections. Tho proposal made the scheme for proportional representation optional, and it could be adopted liy special order for two years. Within six months before tho expiration of the two years tho scheme might be adopted generally by special order. It,was mentioned that a Bill 011 tho above lines had been introduced with respect to the election of the members of the Lyttclton Harbour Board. Tho Mayor considered that while the scheme might be possible for tho election of Mayor, it would be cumbersome and impracticable for a council election. Ho preferred that tho Government should first make the experiment with tho Legislative Council. He moved that tho mattor stand down until the next Municipal Conference. Mr. Bunny seconded this. Mr.'Hindmarsh moved as an amendment that they should adjourn consideration of tho matter until next Monday. Ho was of opinion that a small body like the present could better discuss a matter like this than the Municipal Conforenee. There was something in proportional representation, and he believed it could bo effectively tried in municipal elections. Mr. M'Laren seconded tho amendment. He thought that, they should adopt the principle of tho scheme. Tho larger the constituency and tho greater the number of candidates, tho more effective' was tho method. Under tho present system tho men at tho top of the polls in municipal elections got far more than a quota of votes and the surplus was practically wasted. Tho amendment to adjourn consideration for one week was carried. A letter from tho Petono Borough Council raised tho question of rating 011 Government property.. The secretary explained that tho law varied, and in somo cases tho Government paid rates on workers' dwellings, and • included them in rent; in other cases, as in Petono, the Government paid 110 rates. Tlie Mayor moved: "That in tho caso of rates 011 workers' dwellings, whore the rates cannot be recovered from the occupier tho Government be made liable for the payment of tho amount thereof." ' Mr. Hindmarsh seconded'tho motion, which was carried.

A discussion then took nlace 011 the question of loans under the Advances to Local Bodies Act. It was resolved: "That in the amendment of tho Local Bodies' Loans Act tho rate of interest of the renewal of loans bo raised to a maximum of CA ner cent, instead of five as at present." A communication from the Dunedin Expansion League put forward a suggestion that tho Government should appoint an engineer to devote special attention to roads, and thus secure more judicious expenditure of public money. The Mayor expressed,,, opposition,, to. tho proposal to allow a Government *>hginoer to interfere with the work of local bodies, which coulcP look after themselves. 1

The letter was received, and it war resolved to take no other action beyond referring the letter to the Government. 011 the motion of Mr. Hindmarsh, it was decided to ask for an amondment to the Municipal Corporations Act in order to prevent mock ballot papers being issued containing fower names than those of the ' actual candidates standing.