EMPOWERING BILL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4773, 7 November 1924, Page 2

EMPOWERING BILL.

HAURAKI PLAINS COUNTY. BILL KILLED. in the House of Representatives on Saturday the Hauraki Plaint, County Empowering Bill was considered in committee. Mr Poland, member for Ohinemuri, expressed surprise at the Hill being on the Order Paper, because, on his motion, the House had passed a motion to report progress. His object was to get the Bill off lhe Order Paper. The motion was carried, but tlie Bill was still on the Order Paper. The Local Bills Committee look evidence on the Bill, and decided thav power to borrow money without a poll oi ratepayers should not be included in the Bill. The council wished to take loans out of two special areas and spread the responsibility over the whole- county. Mr Rhodes (Thames) contended that the motion passed was not to kill the Bill, as leave was obtained to sit again. He would be quite content to leave the matter to the decision of the House, which ought tc know that the Public Works district engineer considered the proposals were more equitable than the present position, and it would reduce parochialism to the minimum. Mr Armstrong (Christchurch .East) suggested that .all that was needed was that the county should comply with the law. No Bill was needed. Mr L. M. Isitt appealed to th 3 member in charge of the Bill to give way. Otherwise, as members showed a disposition to talk, they might spend the night and do nothing. Mr Poland divided the House on retention of words in clause 2, which would have the effect of enabling the county to raise a loan by special order without the necessity of taking a poll of ratepayers. He carried a division by 25 votes to 24, and as a result the county will have to submit the loan for the ratepayers’ ap proval. The Bill was reported, read a- third time, and passed. The' Legislative Council deleted from the Bill portion of the clause making a poll of ratepayers necessary before the loan could be raised. Deletion of these words was opposed by 35 to 25 votes. Mr Poland declared that the Bill had simply consisted of useless words, as the council could take a poll whether the Bill wag passed or not. He therefore urged that the measure be dropped. Mr T. W. Rhodes (Thames) said he wanted to save the Bill, as the local body desired it, even with a poll insisted upon, and accordingly he moved that, with Mr Poland and the Hon. J. A. Hanan, he should confer with a committee from the Legislative Council. When this was put to the vote it was declared defeated on the voices, the result being virtually the end of the measure.