MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5106, 4 August 1877, Page 3

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Friday, August 3.

The Conference met at 10 o’clock.

Present:—Messrs. Hobbs (in the chair). Fell, Bamber, Swanson, Sutton, Everett, Ellen, Stewart, Rowe, Thompson, Murray, Jack (Hokitika), Munro (Westport), Hamilton (Greymoutb). The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. leases and reserves. Mr. Steward moved, —1. That it he recommended tbat provision be made for dispensing with the necessity of a reference to his Excellency the Governor- in the matter of the renewal and transfer of municipal leases. 2. That steps be taken to vest, direct in the municipalities, the municipal reserves now held under Crown grants to the Superintendents, and which now vest in trust in his Excellency the Governor. The mover said since giving notice of this motion he observed that the Hon. Mr. Hail had moved in the matter in the Legislative Council, and the question was brought under the consideration of the Government, who intended to take action in the matter; but he had ascertained’ that they were of opinion that the subject was one which this Conference might very well take into consideration, and that any suggestions which emanated from this body would strengthen the hands of the members of Parliament in dealing with it. Mr. Everett seconded the motion. After some further remarks,

The Chairman said if : no other member moved in the matter he should next day bring forward a motion relative to endowments being set apart for municipalities which had no endowments. He thought all municipalities should be endowed on a basis of population. The municipality which he represented (Christchurch) was in the unfortunate position of having no endowments, Mr. Reynolds was of opinion that the reserves should be vested in the Public Trustee, and be kept only for those purposes for which they were originally granted.' Mr. Rowe said these reserves would be much better dealt with by the local bodies, who would, he believed, improve them and deal faithfully with them in the interests of the public. If they were left in the hands of the Public Trustee who was to improve them ? Mr. Sutton, Mr. Standish, and other members of the Conference urged the desirability of the municipalities having full power and control of the public reserves. The Chairman said he thought in many instances it was very desirable that municipalities should have the power to lease for market or other purposes, and to divert sometimes from the original intention for which the reserve was granted, in which case a plebiscite of the ratepayers should be taken. : Mr. Murray thought an interval of ten years should elapse before any alienation of the kind referred to took place. He thought it desirable that the local bodies should have as many reserves as they could in their hands, as no one could say what the exigencies of the Government might be at a future time, and ' the reserves should be preserved. Mr. Swanson said that would not save them one bit. Mr. Murray said the Parliament and Government always respected rights. Mr. Swanson said yes they did ! In the matter of the abolition of the provinces they had done so and no mistake! (Laughter.) The motion ultimately passed, with the addition of the following words ;—“And all municipal reserves held under and by.virfcue of any provincial or other enactment, care be ing taken that when lands are reserved for recreation the same trust is maintained, so that tho reserve may not be alienated from the purposes originally intended.” rates and subsidies. Mr. Ellen moved, —(1.) That in the opinion of this Conference, in the event of any contributions being in the future exacted by law from municipal and governing bodies, by way of deduction from the amount of subsidies payable to those bodies respectively, it is necessary that some different basis should be adopted

from that adopted in the past, inasmuch as the .result of the system hitherto obtained, of making such deductions in proportion to. the amounts payable has been found to work unjustly. (2.) That in view of all the circumstances of the case this Conference is of opinion that the fairest basis would be the rateable value of such municipal or other district, independently of the amount of rate actually levied. At the suggestion of Mr. Fell, .the two paragraphs of the motion were taken as two separate motions. Mr. Fell then supported the first motion, and pointed out how unfairly the Municipality of Blenheim was treated in the matter of deductions from subsidies for charitable aid, The greater number of hospital patients and paupers came from the country districts ; but the burden of their support was unfairly thrown on the towns.

' Mr. Eowe said in his district (Thames) .they had not suffered in this way, because they had brought the Counties Act into operation, and had found it to work very well. Mr. Sdtton said the Napier Corporation felt much dissatisfaction at the deductions. which had been made from their subsidies, and when they applied to the Government on the subject, they got for an answer a letter containing a mass of figures which they could make nothing of. Xu the Hawke’s Bay District there were three counties, but two had made no rates ; but the road board had, and no deduction had been made from them. He believed that the deductions had been taken entirely from the Napier municipality. . : Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Munro supported the motion, pointing out how unfairly the expense of supporting paupers and patients, the greater part of whom came from the country, was thrown upon the towns. The Chairman, in support of the motion, read a return giving the number of patients in the hospital at Christchurch, showing that the borough did not contribute more than a third of the number of patients ; the rest came from the country. Mr. Everett supported the motion, which was carried.

■ The Chairmak suggested that the .second motion should be postponed until next day, when there would be a full attendance' of the delegates, and an answer would probably be received from the Government to a letter) forwarded to the Premier the previous day }i enclosing a copy of a resolution passed that day, and asking upon what basis of calculation the pro rata deduction for the maintenance of charitable institutions and hospitals out of subsidies payable to municipal corporations have been made and are intended to be made for the future, and whether the'subsidies payable to county councils and road boards have been and will be liable to the same deduction. This was agreed to, and the motion stood over accordingly. FIRE BRIGADES. Mr. Reynolds pointed out that some contributions should be paid by Government to fire brigades. He believed there was a smfdl contribution in Wellington, but not elsewhere. The Chairman concurred, pointing out what a large and valuable property the Government held in the towns, and for which they paid no rates. If a fire occurred on, Government property, and the local brigades did not turn out, the Government would be the first to complain. He suggested that a motion should be moved in these terms,—That the Government be requested to place a sum oh the Estimates as an annual contribution towards the cost of the maintenance of‘fire brigades in the different boroughs of the colony. , Mr. Steward suggested that the motion should read as follows, —That in the opinion of this Conference the municipalities have a fair claim to special assistance on the part of the Government towards the cost of the maintenance of fire brigades, and that legislative provision should be made accordingly. He moved to that effect. ' ' . Mr. Jack seconded the motion. Mr. Reynolds said it would be much better to have this provided for by Act, If a sum were placed on the Estimates it might be voted one year'and struck out the next, but if they got it introduced into a Municipal Corporations Act it would be more likely to be permanent. ' The Chairman said no doubt this was sound advice. . : After some further observations the motion was carried. The Conference proceeded? to consider certain amendments,.to the Rating.Act..suggested by the Auckland Council, and. afteri some,discussion, adjourned till* 10 a.m. next,(thjß)iday v