COUNTIES CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2131, 13 July 1907, Page 3

COUNTIES CONFERENCE.

P ress Association. \YELLINGTON; yesterday. At the Counties Conference to-day officers were elected as follows:—President, A. E. Jull (Waipawa); vicepresidents, C. J. Harper (Ashburton), J. G. Wilson (Bulls), F. W. Long (Tuhi'karamae), W. Fraser (Wellington) ; treasurer, H. J. Richards (Levin) ; auditor, S. Bolton (Mangatainoka); executive committee, R. Bould (Johnsonvilie), A. Marcliant (Stratford), D. Berrie (Oamaru), C. Cockburn-Hood .(Masterton), T. J. Carmin (Ivaiwaka), C. N. Orbell (Timaru), A. D. McLeod (Martinborough), J. Horn (Vincent), J. Talbot (Geraldine), P. Best (Waimea), C. A. Bridge (Hawera). Most of the morning was spent on the Model By-laws Bill. No material alteration was made.

The Counties Conference passed the -following resolution“ That in lieu of -the subsidies granted in Clause 94 of the Local Government Bill the following take its place: For any sum received for-a rate levied of }d in the £ the sum payable shall be at the rate of os in the £ and for every additional eighth of a penny in the £ an additional Is be paid by way of subsidy up to the total rate allowed to be raised.”..

A deputation of delegates to the Conference waited upon the Premier with reference to the matters they have had under consideration.

Mr. Jull, the president, said they considered the Local Government Bill contained many valuable provisions but it also contained some that were not calculated to improve local Government. One such feature was tin qualification of electors. Only ratepayers should have a voice in the elec tion of such bodies as County Coun cils, which were purely administra tive. There was some doubt about the question of subsidies. The Con ference believed that subsidies should be graduated according to the amoun of rates levied in the different counties. The cost of maintaining road? was increasing. There should be pro vision in the Loans to Local Bodies Act for advances of more than £6,000 say £IO,OOO. The provisions for ere ating new counties offered too many facilities for multiplication. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said he recognised the importance of these questions and would like to have thf views of the Conference set out for consideration when the Government was dealing with the Counties Ac ! and the Local Government Bill. The question of subsidies- required to be viewed from the standpoint of settled and unsettled country and the provisions must be flexible. Where people in newly-settled districts were without conveniences they should have more consideration than those who had already had help. There were districts in" respect to which it would be unreasonable ami impolitic for the graduated scale system to be recurrent every year. They must guard against giving subsidies that were not required. The whole matter would be very carefully considered. If there was to be an increase in loans to local bodie" there would be a restriction of money lent for the purpose of assisting in other directions. It would also mean large additional borrowing by the colony. If the bladder was blown out in one direction and then still move in another it was just possible that it would burst. The representations of the Conference would have full weight.