County Councils Confer.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1922, Page 4

County Councils Confer.

CONFERENCE AT GREYAIOUTH. , The West Coast .County Councils and members, of the Legislature held a conference at the. Town Hall, Greymouth, yesterday, the meeting being prompted mainly by the decision of the.. government lately communicated ,t.. 0 thp AVestJand County Council that the. State Forests Service would .not be contributing any portion of the.timbo royalties to the local bodies. There were present at the Conference: —- .lions .1. GriniJtiond and H. L. Michel, | Ms.L.'Q., Messrs H. E. Hollaild M.P. for Buffer, and J. O’Brien ALP. for Westland. .An. apology was received from Mr P. 1?. Hudson. -M.P for, Motupka. ( . . Westland County Council (convening

body), Messrs AV. Jeffries (Chairman), J. Ritchie, H. L. Morel,, B. Ward (Members) , and IJ, .K vans (clerk). Grey County Council, .Messrs J. Hannah (Chairman), Higgins (engineer)., Keating (clerk). . Inangahua County Council. Messrs McVicar ('Chairman), Brett (engineer). Buffer County Council. Mr R. I atterson (member). .Mr Jeffries, was voted, to the chair, and explained at some length the object of the meeting. Tlio letter from tho 'Prime Minister’s office (already published). was read, as also section HI of (ho Finance Act, 1.921-22, which authorised the Government to -set up a Commission to determine the amount duo to the local bodies in royalties payments,, and the method of payment. Particulars of the vote by Parliament in respect to past revenues were detailed, and information, given to the Conference in respect to the section of the, V ashjng-up Act, 1.92'-. ,which granted one third of the State Forest revenue to a local body in the .North Island, where, timbc.i traffic from provisional state .forest lands was rutting up the public roads. The niattei; was generally discussed by the representatives present. Ah Holland indicated .the promise .made to Parliament when Section 40 was bcfoi e the House. The representatives of the County Councils expressed their dissatisfaction with the treatment nietei out, not only in respect to the loss oi revenue under the forests Act. un also in regard to former revenue m dispute for the last ten years or so before the forestry policy was brought in. The Hon Michel stated lie had m timated to the Commissioner ot Statu Forests that a conference of local nod ie s was to bu held, and had .received the following telegram from Mr !>• HRhodes: — “Re your telegram ol lbth.. owing to' pressure of matters to be dealt with I regret- 1 have not been able to bring matter of payment of Royalties from State Forests up for consideration ol Cabinet. M ill go inlo tho matter wth Sir I'i'anfu Bell as soon as 1 return aftor tho New Year.” Mr'Jeffries moved That this conference of local bodies agrees to recommend the respective County Councils to send a deputation to Wellington during the approaching session of Parliament to urge the Government to act in accordance with Section 40 of. the Finance Act, 1021-22. and set up the Royal Commission to enquire and report upon the extent to which local authorities have incurred loss of revenue from royalties consequent on the passing of tho Forests Act, 192.1 - 22. and to decide upon the provision which should consequently (in terms of the Act) he made from the revenues „f the* State Forest Service or otherwise; and that the Members of Parliament present lie asked t arrange for tile, deputation ,to meet jointly the Rt lion, tlio Prime Minister. Hon Minister in Charge ol State Forests. Hon Minister of Lands, and Hon Minister of Mines to discuss the foregoing. Mi- Hannan seconded. Agreed, to. Mr Jeffries moved: -That the deputation further bring before the kt. Hon Mr Massey the promises made in 1913. and .subsisqiicntly with respect to post revenue, particularly in regard to treating certain rents as goldfields’ revenue, and a request he made tor full enquiry to show the amount of revenue so involved .and payable to the local bodies; and that m respect to payments on account, including the vote of £5,830 appropriated at the late .session under Miscellaneous services. Department ol Lauds and Survey, the local bodies to he supplied with statements and satisfied that, an equitable payment has been made. Mr Mc\ ic.u seconded. Carried uiinniiiious'ly. Mr . Holland suggested that the necessary arrangements for th" proposed deputation ho 1 ott ill the hands of Air O’Brien. AI.P. for West la ml, and said the deputation should he fixed as otuiv ias possible when the- .session meets. This was agreed tc and Mr O’Brien promised to give the matt-I everv attention. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr Patterson relt-rred to the fact Urnt the Coiiinii- doner.of Crown Lands at Nelson was also Conservator of Forests. and this was not satisfactory. Endowment revenue in Buffer County was being taken from the Harbor

Board, and it was agreed both these matters should he brought up at the proposed deputation. Sir McVicar said it w.as not possible now without committing ,an offence under tho forestry regulation? for si, prospector tq light; a lire in the bush to boil his billy. Air Ward explained the position in Westland Bare district where the Land Board had to approve tlio Forestry Regulations and safeguards had hern taktin. It was suggested the attention of tho Nelson Land Board be drawn to tlio matter.

.Mr Keating referred to the proposal by the Duller County Council for the four West Coast counties to join in adopting heavy traffic by-laws. The proposal was generally approved and ii was decided to l-efir the matter to theCounty Solicitors. The business being concluded, -ur Jeffries took occasion to congratulate the delegates on their unanimity, and to thank them for their interest in the matter, and also the members of tic legislature for their attendance r-i short notice, in regard to a matter v. hicii was of such vital importance to the local bodies. A vote of thanks concluded the proceedings. - - - 1