Municipal Conference.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1921, Page 3

Municipal Conference.

I _ -*>**« —* • •• delegation to massea'. I 'IV TKl.KtlllAl’ll—l’Hit I'ltfiSS ASSOCIATION] Wellington, October 7. Delegates front the Confereliee of 'tile New /.calami Municipal Association waited on the Prime Minister lodav. Mr .AVriglit (ehairmalll detailed (he more important remits and asked that those which had been passed at two different conferences, should he given preference hy Cabinet. Mi- Masscv eongratulated the coiiI'erence oil the amount of work done and said that such work was of great assistance to Parliament. ll*' would not go into detail about the remits, hut speaking generally would say that Cabinet would take an early opportunity of considering them. He could not promise they would he dealt with by Parliament during the present session, but there might he a chance oi attending to the more urgent among them. He agreed with the conference that a beltei way of voting "aby striking out the names of the riiil‘didites not wanted instead of putting a cross against the name of those selected. The proposal of the conference ' that the exemption granted in the matter of rating should he confined to ovnernl rates was one which would cause a great deal of discussion ill the , House. Personally, he could not ' press an opinion until lie had been . inti, il. lie agreed that the Govcruj meat should observe the by-laws ol I local bodies unless there were some j special icasou for exemption. The ari tei'inl roads proposal would come beI for*' Parliament ibis sess'joii and i there would he all opportunity for con- ; sidering the proposal of the Conference ; that assistance should fie given to lucid j bodies to main those parts of arj terial highways passing through their ditricls. Personally In- was not afraid that arterial roads could compete with the railways, the latter could hold their own.