MODEL BY-LAWS FOR COUNTIES.

Shannon News, 12 November 1929, Page 2

MODEL BY-LAWS FOR COUNTIES.

HOROWHENUA COUNCIL NOT HEADY FOR A NEW SET.

The intention of tlie executive committee of the Counties' Association to publish a model set of by-laws was expressed in a circular which was received byj the HorowHJenua County Council on Saturday. The secretary of the Association, Mi- 11. D. Atkinson, stated that the proposed by-laws would be drafted by Mr T. F. Martin, counsel to the Association, and, if adopted by each County in the Dominion, would reduce "ambiguity and assure easy understanding to all ratepayers and the public generally. The secretary enumerated the subjects to be concerned, and added that the bylaws would include all legislation and regulations passed during the current session in connection With transport) heavy traffic fees, and motor vehicles generally. If a sufficient - number of counties joined in, the cost to each subscribing Council would notvexceed '£lo 10s, and might be less.

The County Chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) stated that this scheme had arisen from a remit which was before the Counties Conference last year, and which was referred to the executive for action. It' had been held up for some considerable time, but eventually action was taken. This Council was in the same position as a good many others in New Zealand —its model bylaws were not more than two or threo years old, and had cost it a great deal more than the estimated cost of the new set which the association proposed to" publish. He did not think tha<this Council would be justified in scrapping its existing by-laws, because, whatever new by-laws were framed, there would be something in the nature of: local requirements that; did not affect other parts of the Dominion. The Council, for instance, had had to frame a fresh by-law on account of the speed of motor traffic on the highways. The idea of uniform by-laws for the counties was quite a sound one, but it seemed quite impossible for all the Council's requirements to be met at the same time. He was a member of the executive of the Association, and it had been partly on his suggestion that it had circularised all the Councils, so .as to discover whether it would be expedient to go on with the scheme. Personally he did not think that tho enterprise was a necessary one for this Council. Cr. Jensen said he did not think it was practicable to apply uniform bylaws to the whole of the New Zealand counties, owing to the differing requirements of the districts, some of which were more advanced than others. The question here Avas whether the Council would carry out the new bylaws if it did adopt them. So far it had not attempted to carry out the West Coast by-laws to the letter. If the Council went in for -the new scheme, would it be any better off? As far as the main roads were concerned, the position was practically in the melting pot at present, the Council did not know what was going to happen. On the motion of Cr. Jensen, second e'd by Cr. ! Colquhoun, it was decided that no action be taken.