MUNICIPAL CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2489, 16 June 1915, Page 4

MUNICIPAL CONTROL

WAR CONTRACTS

MANY REFORMS URGED

A meeting of the Executive and. Legislative Committees or the Municipal Association was held in the Town .hall .yesterday, the .Mayor of Veiiuigton (Air. J. I'. Luke.) presiding. 'l'liere wore also present: Messrs. n. Holland (Ala.yor of Uhristchurch), C. C. Crump of Onslow;, li. H. G. Burn (Mayor of Karon), H, iialdwin (Mayor of Lower Hutt), U. A. Kdmonds (I'own Clerk of Nelson), and A. J. ii'Ourdy (Upper Hutt Town Board), and T. F. Martin (secretary). Apologies for absence were received from the Mayors of Auckland and Palmerston Mortu, and Mr. A. H. Hindmai'sh (Harbour Board). 'l'he first matter under consideration was that of increased freight, insurance, etc., on contracts for works and supplies let before the war. The question aroso as the result of a letter irorn Whangarei regarding the practice adopted by different municipalities. Mr. Martin read extracts of how different bodies had dealt with the matter, tie said that it looked as if legislation! would bo required if they were to deal with the matter. Personally ho thought contracts would have to bo stuck to.

Mr. Holland: "I think not, in the case where the contract was made before the war." It seemed to him that it would be grossly unfair of a municipality to take advantage on such contracts.

Mr. Luke said that merely as an act of grace the Wellington City Council had given consideration. He did not think they should take any. action at the meeting.

Mr. Holland thought it would be a good thing if Mr. Martin, as solicitor of the association, would go into the matter, and give a report on it. A motion to this effect was carried.

A further question from Invercargill and Nelson sought advice on the power to make salary and wage payments to employees who had enlisted.

It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Luke, that Mr. Martin should prepare a draft of tho legislation necessary to legalise payments made by local authorities in regard to men on active service.

Mr. Luke said that the council here adopted the practice of making up the difference between the military pay and the wage earned to the dependents.

A Departmental inquiry asked for the committee's opinion on a proposal for remission of rates due by those absent on active service.

The opinion was generally expressed that no council would embarrass a man by a demand.

The solicitor was authorised to draft legislation to meet all the requirements, either to remit altogether or postpone payment. An application was received for a donation to the Belgium Fund u and it was decided that as the association had no funds, the request, would have to be refused. Accident Insurance. An Auckland remit sought power for councils to establish their own accident insurance funds. This remit was carried b.v the 1912 and 1914 conferences, and it was again passed. A remit again carried was for power to prohibit importation of second-hand timber. The Westport Borough Couiicil brought up the matter that power should be given to councils to purchase lands on terms, and a remit to this eii'ect was carried. The oxecutivo also approved of a remit that power should be given councils to apply unexpended surplus of loan money in purchase of its own debentures in any other loan. It was decided to take no action. to exclude borough councils from 5 o'clock closing. It Was decided to press upon the attention of the Government the passing of conference Temits not yet embodied in legislation. Crown rating was. a matter brought up by the City Solicitor (Mr. J. O'Shea). Mr. Luke pointed out that it was desired that where Government Departments entered into competition with private enterprise, they should be taxed. " He referred to the Government Insurance Department, Public Trustee, Tourist Department, etc. A resolution to that effect was carried. Mr. Crump moved that where the Government purchased land for building workers' dwellings, they should pay rates on the land. Mr. Baldwin said that their borough was losing £500 to £800 per year through it'.

Mr. Martin said . that under the Workers' Dwellings Act rates could be recovered against, the tenant.. They had bad a great deal of correspondence with.the Prime Minister regarding land aca'uired for workers' dwellings; 'and lying idle, and Mr. Massey had promised to get rid of all surplus land. ■ The motion was' carried.

• With reference to street, widening, the City : Solicitor pointed- out the injustice of - Section 117 of the Pub'ic Works Act,- requiring local bodios to take over land for widening purposes. In many cases that'land was worthless. He said that the council had paid some-: thine like £5000 for useless land. They should protest against compulsory dedication. It. was decided to reaffirm the principle that it was desirable the section should be repealed, or amended to give local authorities the right to approve of the dedication. • Matters regarding condemned buiidins, rating of gas mains runuing through streets, etc., were also dealt with. Differentiation between lavge boroughs and cities and small :owns was left over for next 'conference. Private Streets. The City Solicitor also brought forward the matter of maintenance of pri-' va,te streets and private ways, and advocated legislation on the lines of the Victorian statutes, Mr. Luke said that the condition in Wellington was a standing, disgrace, but the.y had 110 power to deal witn tho maintenance, etc., unless they got legislation. A resolution was carried requesting that such nower should be given. In regard to disputes in the .'entals of cit.v leaseholds, a resolution was carried that each party should be ' nablod to agree upon the third member of the Arbitration Court, or failing that, a Supreme Court Judge should bo appointed, the aecesaiy legislation having been passed. A motion put by Mr. Holland was carried as follows: —"That the Municipal Corporation Act, 1910, be amended in the direction of providing for soino valuation assistance being given to local bodies by the Government Department, in asossinc the value of improvement's effected by street widening, giving right of appeal." On tlie motion of Mr. Holland it was decided to recommend an amendment of the Proportional Representation Act, 19U. so as to allow a council to retain office, until its successors were appointed, in the case of divided boroughs. It was also decided to rceoimnend the suspension of tho clause requiring a scru-t-iiiv. unless called for by cne of the candidates. Consolidation of Municipal Corporations Acts. Local Election Acts, etc., was urged.