COUNTY COUNCILS CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 151, 22 July 1901, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCILS CONFERENCE.

PER PEEB3 ASSOCIATION. Wellington July 20. Tbe Counties Conference adopted the following motions this morning:— 1. That the Government be asked to amend the Bating Act in the direction of special loaus being raised on unimIproved value; 2. That the time has arrived when Natives should be liable for fu.l rates, and not only half as f»t present; 3 That rating on all native lands, where the title his been ascertained, should be tbe sime as that ownvd and occupied by other persons in the colony, and that the pe>soa whose name first appsars on the list of owners shall be the psraon to sua for all rttcs due; also that native lands should be included in a special rating district, where it is shown that auoh lands are benefited by the expenditure of ppj»ci>l rates ; (4) That power be givon to local bodies to. pay (uterus'; on special !o>n> in special districts out of the ordinary revenue of such special districts; (5) That a a'aus* be inserted to make the land included in a spcial district, ani afterwards patsing into the bands of native?, liable for a special rate. The Conference recorded the opinion, that the Crown lands in special districts should be made liable for rates,

A resolution was carried protesting against the practice pursued by th» Audit Department in dealing with statutory inlaud sheets, of treating separate accounts as separate rtte accounts. It was r. ulved there should be Boards of Review relating <e land t« valuations, such Boards te consist of the Stipendiary Magistrate, and two qualified men of local expoi-iencs. Another resolution declared that th Valuation of Lind Acs in its operation has prored very unsatisfactory, and it is essential either that tbe Act be repealed, or thoroughly competent valuer? be appointed j that a fair definition of improvements be inseriei in the Act, and the present exoeseire charges to local bodies amended. An opiuion was express-d by the Conference that Guvernme .t should make some concessions in the matter of travelling expenses of memheis attending future confe 1 ences.