MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2608, 19 July 1923, Page 2

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

REMITS DEALT WITH.

Christchurch, Last Niglil. At the Municipal conference, Mr H. L. Tapley (Dunedin) moved that the Government be asked to expedite the passing of the Motor Vehicles Bill, providing for Dominion registration of motor vehicles and the drivers thereof. In doing so he, said that the Bill had been before Parliament for a considerable time and the local bodies had ft right to know what was being done. —The remit was carried. With regard to the payment of Councillors, Mr A. Lees, on behalf of Taumarunui, moved “That councillors be paid a reasonable fee for the time occupied on the Council’s business.” This was carried on the voices. Mr F. .T. Nathan, on behalf of the Palmerston North Borough Council, moved “That local bodies he empowered to classify any of their workmen, who are well on in years, and who are incapable of performing a fair day’s work, and to pay such workmen a wage commensurate with the amount of work performed.” The Rev. H. K. Archer (Christchurch) said the- remit was one with which they all sympathised, but there was a certain amount of risk against which they had to safeguard themselves. He understood that under the Arbitration Court there was provision for under-rate workers. The principle was recognised, and they should be able to carry it out under the existing law. The motion was carried by 28 votes to 11. Masterton submitted the following motion: “That this Council strongly urges the Audit Department to arrange an audit of all municipal body accounts within three months of the end of the ibinncial year, otherwise that they bo asked to appoint an independent auditor.” The remit was adopted. On behalf of Masterton, Afatarnata, Pfthiatua, Palmerston North, Patea, St. Hilda, Tabape, Tauranga, Waipukurau, Wanganui, Westport and Whangarei, Air 0. N. C. Pragnall moved that the voting of the borough elections be similar to that in Parliamentary elections, hv striking out the names of candidates on the voting paper for whom the voter does not Intend to vbte, instead of placing a cross opposite the name of the candidate for whom the voter intends to vote as at present. The remit was carried.

Air A. Bain (Invercargill) moved that ow’ing to the fluctuating dates of Easter holidays, and the fact that Anzae Day occurs so near the date fixed for the municipal elections, it be a recommendation, to the Government to make the election fall on the second Wednesday in May, instead of on the last Wednesday -in April. The remit was carried.

A proposal that Alunieipal Councils should have the right to elect their own Afayors without a separate election was submitted by Wellington, Avondale, Taihape, Balclutha, Foxton, Hawera, Taumarunui and Eastbourne Councils.

The mover and seconder supported the remit on the grounds that the ATayor should have council experience and also that at times when three candidates stand for office, the services of the two defeated candidates were lost to the council. — The remit was defeated.

The following remit came from Devonport: “That in order to assist continuity of policy, provision Do made for one-third of the councillors to retire annually and that the council be elected for a period of three years instead of two, as af present.” The chairman moved an amendment that it he a recommendation that there should be tri-ennial election for Mayor and council. —The amendment was adopted/ -

A communication from the New Zealand Automobile Association was submitted./ suggesting! ‘ that there should be uniform by-laws .requiring pedestrians to keep to the left of tlie footpaths. The New Zealand Counties’ Association also wrote stating that, they were in favour of the Association’s suggestion.

Mr H. L. Tapley (Dunedin) said that as a conference, he thought they should affirm the principle of either keeping to the right or to the left. He moved that the conference affirm the principle of a uniform bylaw and that it should be included in the Municipal Corporations Act.

Mr Wl H. Nicholson pointed out that the Automobile Association had every reason in asking for a uniform by-law, to force pedestrians to keep to the left. One prominent citizen had lost his life through stepping off the footpath in a direction the same as that in which lie had happened to be proceeding. Besides providing for the safety of the general public such a measure would relieve motorists of no small amount of responsibility. Mr Tapley’s motion was carried and it was further decided that the rule of the footpath should be to keep to the left.