COUNTIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE.

Otaki Mail, 12 September 1923, Page 3

COUNTIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE.

1 At Saturday's meeting of the llorowheiiua. County Council Mr. Cf. -v. Monk (chairman) seported:— Acting under a resolution of this Council I attended the Counties Association Conference held at Wellington on August the Bth, 9th, and 10th. Over one hundred delegates were in attendance. Seeing that .IHo remits were before the Conference for consideration, T do not propose to deal with them all j in this report, most of them being only of interest to local body submitting same. There were, however, one or two subjects discussed which wore of interest to most Counties and particular- . Iv tu our own County. Hospital Legislation, j The. first dealt with was hospital legislation, particularly with reference to the subsidy by the Government to the various Hospital Boards. At the present time subsidies are payable to ' Boards, ranging from J2-s 3d in the pound (this amount is earned by the j Palmerston Xortli Board), up 10. I un-I derstaml, as high as 27s in the pound. During the conference a deputation waited upon the Prime Minister,' with the result that legislation has now been placed on the Statute book, that will give a Board as ours, a much higher subsidy. Highways Act. The subject dealt with at the conference that was by far the most important —I now refer Highways Act —received very careful consideration by the special committee set up, who submitted the following report —such report, with the exception of Glau-c 8, being unanimously endorsed by the conference:— “ Your committee beg to report having met and considered the various re- ( •nits that have been referred ro them, and they make the following recommendations: (1) ThaA with a view to giving- ••The Highways Act *’ a trial, as far as the number of Boards i- concerned wo feel | hnt the present constitution of oneHighways R..:.H .-houM i.et-cpU'.!. [ (2) Your commute? I’ovi that ms by- , la-tvs ami rvgulation* relating to heavy . ruffle ami other truffle on roads, oyeflier with I!erased fees, will have to be considered bv the Highways Board Ut respect to roads created main high- i ways, your committee recommend that i uicli regulations and bylaws be mail"’ J on the recommendation of district j Councils, and that the fees from licenses, etc., Vie devoted to Hit: Counties I within the group.

(31 Vour committee feel that the re- • t riel ion relating to the number of members of the executive committee of lie Highways Council be removed, so ilint the executive committee may be ;uch tis is recommended by the district Council.

(4) Your committee feel that it is desirable that the representatioa on the district Council should be amended to have more regard to the sire and valuation of the constituent Counties.

(5) Re raising of loans: Your committee recoin mend the adoption of Rnngitikei remit, No. 83. as follows: ‘That “The Main Highways Act. 1922.’’ be amended so its to provide that the Government shall raise the whole of the money required, and collect from the local bodies their share af the annual interest and sinking fluid,’ with the following words added, ‘provided such loans are raised in accordance with the provisions of “The Local Bodies Loans Act.’’’ (tit Tn addition to the powers under ■Section 22, your committee feels that the Highways Board, on the recommendation of the district Councils, should have power to grant, in special circumstances, a greater proportion of the cost than is prescribed by sections 18 ami 19 of the Act. or that such addition be made by grant from .Public Works fund.

f 7) Your committee think an over Jght lias been made in not giving as-

sistance to the town districts which are separated from Counties, and have main highways traversing their districts. We recommend that provision be made for this omission.

(SI Y'our committee recommend tiiat financial consideration be given lo those Counties which have raised loans for tar-sealed roads, wli’ere such roads may lie takeu over as main highways. (9) Y'our commit toe feel tthnt any increased revenue required tor motor taxation should lie obtained by an increased revenue from lyre tax, but feel that the question as to whether the tax should 100 on the value or on the size of the tvre is an expert question better left to'the motor trades and the Customs Department. We feel. h<"v-

I'vcr, in view of ditrieulties -which we understand exist in charging duties on tyres attached to motor cars, all Customs duties relating to motor vehicles, as well as tyres, should be credited to the Main Highways l-’und.

i in) We recommend that paragraph i! of remit Xo, 84. from Grey County, he agreed to, as follows: ‘That the conference approves the constitution of district highways Councils, but for purposes of economy in several ndministrntins of the Act. suggests that such Councils should be given wider powers and duties in regard to road works in tlieir respective highways districts, and in the delegation of such powers and duties to the constituent County Councils.’ We al c o recommend that paragraph 3 of the same remit bo agreed to. as follows: —‘ That in the opinion of the conference, the scheme of taxation required to conform with the income of the Alain Highways Board is beyond the resources of the local authorities unless excessive taxation is imposed on the ratepayers, 1 and to this we suggest udie addition- of the following words, ‘and we recommend that the same contribution be made for maintenance works as for construction or reconstruction works.’ (11) Your committee consider that remit 82.- from Wairarapa South should bo deferred until experience shows the need of such action. (12) Re Vincent County remit. Xo. 84. your committee feel that as district Councils have power to recommend the roads to be created main highways within group areas,' they do not consider the passing of this remit to be necessary. . (Signed) A. B. JTJDL. Chairman. In the earlier stages of the conference considerable opposition was shown by the South Island delegates to the \ct but after addresses by the Minister of Public Works, and our President, Mr. .full, the general opinion was that the Highways Act should be given a trial. The chairman of the Highways Board. Air. Purkert, attended tin* conference and in reply to a question acls dressed him by one of the delegates, . stated that if a. County was not preparj ed to go on with the work as l'ccom- ] mended by the district Council, that local body would be passed over for those local bodies which were prepared, ' at all events such would lie the ease, in the earlier stages of the administra- ' tion of the Act. This 1 submit was a most importaift statement, and seeing ' that we fire carrying a very heavy bur•de'n in the shape of fast and lvenyy through motor ifaitie at the present ' lime, and tlip situation of our County, justifying as', in looking for early relief I feel that we should latte steps as will ensure that we are ready to proceed with, this great work of putting a permanent surface on our mom roads, so soon as the Highways Board giver. U 3 the- necessary assistance and

power to function. To do tills it may bo necessary to set up a special committee to go into the question of supplies of suitable metal, distribution of same; also the advisability of acquiring somewhere central in the County a site suitable for treating and distributing tar, restar, bitumen or whatever material may be used for the sealing of our roads, I had the pleasure, some little time ago, of unofficially inspecting a very fine plant in the Woodvillc County, and I respectfully make the suggestion that an inspection of this plant by our Councillors may be well worth while. In conclusion, I thank the Council for having scut me to the conference as your delegate, and would suggest that the County Clerk accompany our delegate to the next conference—l am sure it would be helpful in many ways to the Clerk, thereby a benefit, to the Countv in general.— G. ALEX. MONK.’’ August 2Sth, 3923.