MUNICIPAL LAW

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 125, 23 November 1932, Page 6

MUNICIPAL LAW

CHANGES PROPOSED

PEOPLE WHO DO NOT VOTE

BETTERMENT PRINCIPLE

Two amendments of far-reaching importance are, it is understood, to be brought before the House of Representatives in the Municipal1 Corporations consolidation measure, which is to be introduced this week. ; • -

The first of these is said to' be , a provision that after every municipal election, the names. of all persons who have not exercised their votes are to be removed from the electoral Toll. This, it is stated, is a recommendation from the Municipal Association, but there is likely to \>o fairly ;• strong opposition from the Labour benches on the grounds that the measure will ■ result in inconvenience to relief workers and others who have been absent on polling day. v

The second change in the law which is likely to take place is in connection ■with compensation ■which, has to be paid when a local authority sets back the building line of a street for streetwidening purposes. At the present time when such an action is taken, tho local authority has to pay compensation to the landowner, but in the -hew proposals it is provided that when" such an action is taken, the betterment principle must be taken into account and the value received by the property from the street-widening operations must be used in reducing the claim for compensation.