MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 73, 5 July 1910, Page 5

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

OPENS IX WELLINGTON. By Telegraph—Press Association. W Islington, Yesterday. • ilie eleventh annilal Municipal Conference opened here to-day when delegates were welcomed by Mr. Wilford, 1 Mayor of Wellington. In the course r ® m t ar ks, r - Wilford commented on the action of the Government in the past in throwing to the winds the reso-' lutions of municipal conferences, and said he proposed to ask the conference i to make a strong protest against the , non-inclusion of 80 me of the past reso- , lutions in Bills which had passed into statute law. » Lord Islington visited the conference, ' and was warmly received. I' His Excellency, in a short' address, 1 dwelt upon the importance of »ucn con- , ferences, and expressed the hope that , he would have the opportunity of meet-! ing and coming into touch with these I' responsible for the different localities. ! The question of a joint superannua- ' tion fund between the Municipal Association and the Harbor Board Association was again considered, and the conference decided to urge the Government to bring in the National Annuities Bill. ■ A discussion took place on the residential qualification of voters at Municipal elections, and a motion was passed' in favor of making the Parliamentary roll, the basis of municipal franchise. IMPORTANT RESOLUTIONS. Wellington, Last Night. > It was resolved: That when a number of adjoining boroughs form themselves into one. united borough, where rating is under' different systems, power be given the Council to take a poll of ratepayers to - adopt one uniform system for ihe united borough. That accounts of municipal opera houses and other municipal places of amusement be kept separately. That, with the exception of money raised by special loan, it should be lawful for councils to pay the whole of' their revenue from any source whatever into one account at the bank, and that thfe, (keeping of separate ledger accounts' should 'be sufficient. | That municipalities, especially those engaged in trading concerns, should be permitted' to keep their accounts on commercial lines. . j' That section 167 'of the Municipal 1 Corporations Act be amended by adding" the following clause: "If the council at any time, after a footway has been laid out' or constructed, but not asphalted,' considers it necessary or desirable that such footway should be asphalted, it may imp.ose, not exceeding one naif, the cost of such asphalting upon owners of lands and buildings frqnting* same. r \ That before taking over any new; road, made for the purpose of subdividing land, a .council may require the owner to make necessary provision for water supply and sanitation. That to enable councils to complete r.oading. and provide for closer settlement. the Government be requested l to I legislate enabling the Public Trustee or Minister in Charge of Native Lands, to sell native reserves within the cities or boroughs, and invest the money on behalf of the owners, or, as an alternative, that the Public Trustee or Minister he directed to road the said lands in accordance with -the by-laws, and let the frontages on long renewable leases. That the Government be asked to legislate to enable municipalities to execute ,water and drainage works for owners of

nremises, the cost of such works to be by instalment! •' ' That section 260 of the MunicipalCorporations Act be made to apply to offices and other buildings over one a+orp-r- iii height, where persons are emrf»«*ed during day or nisht. That the Government be ultimately Unblp f nr nil rates leviod on land Teby the Government for workers' flvol'ingNj, Thpt flip attention of the Government he to the fact thati where educareserves are l»ased .on weekly (•"navies, or for other short periods, tli" lofol authority cannot levy. I Thit laid taken or jnsed ,by the Gov-ernment-for trading purposes be liable to taxation. ■ I