The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1920. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3549, 10 August 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1920. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT.

With which is incorporated O “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News,” ¥-—--

Municipal law is again undergoing a consolidating process in Parliament, and next’ year borough councils _:will be able to throw aside the multiplicity of old amendments of the .1908 Act and have all the ‘law governing imunicipalities between one pair of lcovers. The Municipal Corporations Act" had become so unsuitable for presgnt day use that Municipal Conferfences were persistently condemning s\it and had, in fact, adopted resoluxtions sufficient to make up a go-od lsized bill of themselves. The Governlment Measure as brought down is a ‘very colourless compilation, little more than a rearrangement of the old Act with its amendments, a little left out, a little a.dded, and quite realsonably Members looked upon it with considerable surprise and dissatisfaction_ It seems, however, that the Government is drifting Into :1 way of ’bringing down the frame of legisla--tion first, and afterwards putting in the stuffing while the measure has undergone discussion. That is not a very Serious defect. in bringing down ‘a Municipal Corporations. Act because they -are invariably submitted to a Committee of the House composed of ‘Members w'flo have had considerable municipal experience. ‘ln introducing lthe Bill the Minister gave some inldication o"i" what the complete measlure was likely to contain, and in what !way it would be an improvement. up{on the Measure it displaces. Town ;.‘Bozlrds will be pleased to know ‘that: lthey are l>e.ing praced upon a similar [footing in borough councils, the new ‘L.-\ct extending their powers very gunjsiderzibly. Boroughs are permitted to iaccept right-oliways through privu';e lproperty connecting one street with Innother rega‘rdless of the width of the ;>stl‘e€‘ts so coxrnected, but no house ‘inust be built facing such right-ob §\va_v. Councils are given the power 3[to charge persons benefitted with the \_cost. of constl‘u‘cting and maintaining iprivater streets. Surface piping may be supplied free of cost from mains tie the consumers’ bourfdary; meters {may be supplied and their O\‘\'llGl":T!3‘.)

retained by the bol"Cugh. Clouueil;-3 =ll'<=,givon _Q'l'(‘:‘.l'er power in ol‘<leriu;; the renioval 01:’ l)uil(ling's damaged by fire, or ‘ol‘h(‘l‘ causes. beyond repair‘. The new Bill makes it incumbent on cul-ters—up oi‘ pi-ival-0 property to Furnish plans for Councils’ consideration; no’second-hand timber is to be allowed in any building without the Council’s permission. Municipalities are given power to purchase land under certain restl'i(:iionS, and, most important, the liniit;:-0-f rating on capital value is being increased from threehalfpence in the pound to twopence. After making provision [or interests and sinking funds .Councils are to have power to set. aside out of the general accounf any moneys to form a fund for repair or renewal of plant, building or other property used in any trading venture the municipality may become engaged in. It {.93 to begome the duty of the Town Clerk to inquire into clainis‘for enrolment if he is not satisfied with their Validity. As municipalities are undertaking traiing concerns, all local authorities are to be compelled to keep profit and loss accounts in regard thereto, and if a trading venture proves unsuccessful power is given to draw upon the general account for any deficiency.

Presuming that sixpence in the pound on annual value is not sufficient: to produce money required‘ to cover the cost of sanitation works in small boroughs, power is given to strike such a rate as will cover the cost, there being no lil'nitation_ With these lIGW Pl'oVisions and quite a number of alterations, additions and deletions, the Minister introducing the Bill of ‘opinion a very serviceable Municipal Corporations Act ‘will result. It must be understood that the above are». some of the provisions mentioned by the Minister, and indicate the nature of the Measure at passing N 5 second reading. It is at present before a specail committee and may come up for its third reading and final adoption in quite a modilied forml The one great cause for complaint at this stage is that the incom~ plet€ll€SS‘ ‘Of tllesMeasul-e furnishes another indication that the Govern-

ment drift into sllp—§liod ways of condllctillg the public business shows no sign of improvement. In the form in which it was placed before the House it is \~'n-tually A proposal to 1'(-:4-mzmt the old existing law with slight umr.lifitgations. as Mr Sidey ‘stated, all nhe new Dl‘ol3oszlls—pr'ovisions that are going, to make it a new Bill—~are to be brought down at a later date, in alloth€l‘ form, and were therefore not before the House for discussion on the second reading. It seems obvious that the Government are hurriedly rushing on to the table of the House a half-baked measure or that they are on an angling expedition to ascertain from Members experienced in local government what alterations and additions to Municipal law Would be most acceptable to the people. That Ivaspect would not be so serious, but when the Bill comes back to the House for final acceptance there can be no second reading debate on the 'new and most important provisions of the Government that may be added. This savourg very much of being flegislation in spite of the peonle, ta. icourse that should be resented to an [extreme Amongst the most urgent legislative needs is a good, compre¥hensive_. workable Municipal CorporaItions Act_. and when the Bill, the whole Bill, leaves the Committee 'stage and is submitted to the House for acceptance it "is most earnestly ‘hoped there will be no shadow of. [party politics cast upon it.