MUNICIPAL LAWS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 27, 27 October 1920, Page 7

MUNICIPAL LAWS

!o * 0 THE CONSOLIDATING BILL it « AMENDMENTS MADE BY THE COUNCIL V t Tho Municipal Corporations Bill, which, i-' though largely a consolidating measure, contains'a good many amendments of the '* existing law, was committed in the Lcgis- " lativ,,) Council last night. 1 The Hon. M. Coli,eti proposed an amend- ® nient_ providing that a mayor going •ut ■j of office and not re-electcd as mayor or r , councillor, should sit as a councillor for s the next two years, notwithstanding that r the nuintyr. of members of the council might bo increased 'beyond the limit at present laid down. Mr. Cohen considered it desirable thai. - new mayors should have tluj advantage - of assistance from thio outgoing mayors. - Sometimes a mayor inaugurated an* important Scheme, but was not returned (o i prosecute it. In such cases his advico 1 might I?; valuable. i Sir Francis Bell opposed the ameii'l- ) ment. Tnc.re were obvious objections, ho ) said, to a man's having a seat on a i council without being elected. Morei over, a "deposed" mayor might pr.ive ; troublesome to a new mayor, i Mr. Cohen said he would not press Ihe i amendment. • . The Bill provided that general rales • might l>e levied not exceeding 2s. Od. ill : thte £ on tho annual value of rattablo > property, or 2d. in the £ on the capital 1 value. The Hon. C. H. Izard said that when (lie Bill was liefore the Local Government Committee there was a considerable • amount of discussion on the questliu ' whether the Bill should extend the limit ; at present in force. In order to u'ive !lie Council an opportunity 'of expressing its opinion, he moved thnt 2a. sho'uld bo tho limit. Sir Francis Bell thought the limit cf 2s. Gd. a reasonable one.- It would enable councils to do their duty better than they could do it under the present limit. Local authorities were extending -.heir functions considerably. Som(; members regarded the proposed increase in the rates with considerable concern. In the event of loan proposals for particular, works being rejected, said the Hon. G. J. Garland, a council composed of "extremists" might prosecute the wprfc with' nf6fffy raised 'by the exercise of its increased rating powers. The Hon. J. Barr could see no grounds for apprehension. He reminded the Councirthat the expenditure of_ local bodies had risen tremendously during recent years, on account of tho increased cost of everything. , , ~ Mr. Izard's amendment was lost on tho Toicos. | The Hon. J. Barr suggested an extension of the clause providing that a council may depnsit money at interest with any bank. H|j proposed that councils be empowered, upon obtaining the consent of the Governor-Generai-in-Council, to deixisit sums of money with any other local authorities entitled to receive moneys on deposit. The Leader of the Council accepted the suggestion and the Bill was amended by the incorporation'in .it of a clause confening the power proposed. The following new clause recommended by the Local Government Committee was adopted bv the Council: —"After _tlie commencement of this Act, no street shail bo laid out or constructed by tho council with a grade in any part of itr? lei'gth more than one inch in twelve inches, except with the prior consent in . wri-.ii.ff of the Minister of Public Works" Tn a clause dealing with mio po.vi'rs of councils in respect to workers' dwellings, the provision for payment of five per cent, interest on money advan'id to a worker, or on any purchnsc-mon-v unpaid was. amended by the substitution of "five and a half per cent." for "five iper cent." As passed by the lower House, tho Bill contained'the following sub-clauses: —'(1) Where any person holding any land ; .n- a borough proposes to sell or lease part, thereof, a plan of subdivision showing the several allotments and their dimewions, and the streets and reserves, if itiif, proposed to bo made, shall bo prepared bv a licensed surveyor, and approved by tHe council, before any part of ths land is so disposed of, or is advertisi'd or offered 'for disposal. (2) In any such case the council may,_ before app/oving any iplan of reonire the owner to make further provision for the construction of streets, or the makin- of reserves, or may require such other alterations of the plan as it thinks proper.-" 'Che Local Govenment Committee of tho Council, in its Teport on the measure, recommended that for tho words "sell or lease part thereof" _ (in sub- ' clause 11 there should be substituted the following words: "Subdivjdo the same for purposes of 6alo or lease, or other disnosol." The proposed change was agreed to, Pir Francis Bell moved nn amendment providine' that the clause/containing the abo.'o. sub-clauses should not cohie into operation till January 1, 1922. He observed' that the provision was new to ! even- place'but Wellington, and reason- i «.blo notice of it had hardly been given 1 1o oroperty-owners. I The amendment was carried. ■'T'io Government ought to set an exam ile 'of compliance with by-laws framed for the public safety," was the substall 's of an argument put forward by Mr. Ba.rr concerning the following clause: "Except as otherwise- specifically provided herein, nothing in this Act or in any regulations or by-laws under this Act shall be construed to apply to or shall in any way affect the interest ] of His Majesty in any property of any ] kind belonging to or vested in His Ma- ■, jesty.' I The clause was adopted without alter- ■ ation. Sir Francis Bell expressed ft doubt whether Mr. Barr would he in ' order in moving an amendment, and the Chairman of Committpes ruled that Mr. -Parr would be out of order. A r,e.w clause conferring authority for the consolidation of general and other rates was adopted. i Process was reported at 10.20 p.m. ( The F.ill will be further considered in commi'teo to-day.