COUNTIES CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1926, Page 1

COUNTIES CONFERENCE

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] A COUNTY’S GRIEVANCE. WELLINGTON, July 20. Several changes in the method of raising revenue for hospitals and charitable aid were advocated by the president, Mr A. E. Jull, in his address at the opening of the New Zealand Counties’ Conference to-day. “The schedule relating to contributions payable to Hospital Boards was amended in 1923, substituting a rather complicated provision apparently with the object of giving some relief to low valued districts,” said Mr Jull. “It is. unfortunately necessary, however, to stress again the need for a moro equitable basis for computing hospital contributions within the individual districts, so that the population. of the different constituent parts of a district may bear a stipulated share fo the levy. “Even in the distribution of the cost of road maintenance it is recognised that the user shall pay a stated share. The population of the different constituent parts of each hospital district represent, in effect, the users of the hospital, and it seems a sound argument, in computing the amount of the Hoard’s levy upon tho counties and boroughs in each hospital district, that a. fixed share (say one-half) of the total levy shall be based upon the different constituent parts of the hospital district in proportion to their respective populations, and the balance upon the proportions of their respective capital values. In former days when the Hospital Hoards’ activities were very much more primitive than they are to-day. and population as not so congested, tho unfairness of the basis of levying upon the local bodies on the capital values was not so apparent. To-day however, the activities of the Boards are being extended in so many directions, and the town populations are so much more able to take advantage of ih.o benefits provided, that the unfair- , ness of the method of payment for these advantages and Facilities has become , increasingly apparent.” ]

NO MORE VOTING BY CROSS. 'Pile method of voting by a cross at local elections is to be abolished, according to a statement made by the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Han. Air Bollard), when opening the .'-’minties’ Conference. The .Minister .-aid that he. proposed, if opportunity oiicrcd, to bring down ail amending Bill during the present session, providing, among other filings, that the system of voting by means of a cross ho abolished, and that the system in vogue in Parliament elections of striking on! the name of tho councillor or proposal, bo adopted instead. It wa.s also proposed to make provision for voting by declaration in cases where the name of a person had been inadvertently >mitted from the roll.

“Representations have been made from lime to time that some provision should be enacted to enable absent voters 1.0 record their vote.” added the Minister. “So far, however, no .suggestion .ha*, been submitted that would allow of the preservation of the secrecy of the ballot. I do not propose, at all events at present, proceeding further with this matter, ' more especially as the Municipal Conference has indicated that it is opposed to any such proposals.”