COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 17 July 1901, Page 4

COUNTY COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

(PER PRES 3 ASSOCIATION.)

Wellington, July 17

The County Council Conference opened to-day and immediately proceeded to discuss the Counties Bill. There was considerable debate on the proposed constitution of district?, and in this connection Clause 2 was struck out. On the Clause providing that every new county shall be divided' into nine ridings the proposal that fifteen ridings be inserted was agreed to. Numbers of delegates urged that in the constitution of new ridings rateable value as well as population should be taken into account, and with a view of making provision to this effect Clause 7 was struck out and a new clause to replace the one deleted will bo drafted by the revising committee. The conference resolved to recommend reduction of area comprising town districts and a resolution was moved in the direction of abolishing road districts in order to save expense of dual administration. Sir George Clifford and several delegates expressed the hope that the provisions of the Bill in regard to road districts would not be interferred with. Others thought that where County Councils and Road Boards overlapped each other something should be done. The question was still under discussion when the Conference adjourned.