LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10675, 3 July 1912, Page 5

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

READ A FIRST TIME

ITS PROVISIONS EXPLAINED. I

(By Telegraph — Tress Association.)

WELLINGTON, Last Night

In the House of B-cpresentattiv-'S Ithiis aftci'riooii, the 'Locall Goveirnmsnt 'R'eifonm Bill was introduced by Governor's Metisage, and was explained by the Hon: G. W. Russell. The Bill, lie said, was the outcome of the eon.'{brecee held '.recently in Wellington. Education, Hcspitols, Charitable Aid and Harbour Boards had' bem 'elimiu.fflted from.'the Bill. The measure now 'dea&t witlh what might bo termed the mere prnotieril for his of local government. There "ivousld be two forms of local government in th.e> Dominion— ai municipail form iin the cities, Uind a ociumlby form in the rural districts. Under the BiiLl, it was proposed to abolish small, superfluous bodies. A JjOciß Government Board wo Mid r t>2< set up, •consisting -of the Ministt' iof Irrfcovmal Affaire, the tlndcr-Sacro-'tary a? Internal Affairs, the TJnder'Scoretary of Public. Works, the Vain-'cr-iGeiiciral, and three perrons appoints d by the Gc-varnment, in addition to 'two otben?, one nlomariatod by the 'Mar.p.:"c ; ipril Afsoe-intion, and the other iby the Counties. Ais-sceiiaition. ilio .Board would report aiinualily to Parliairniont. Pa - c r rao;i was in the Bill for 'sefitra:? up a commfEScn to decide np--0:1 the Crvemtios, which would be- virtually I'sduoad to fifty in the wh'-lo country. Parliament would have to ,-,-..■■,■(> iW\ Commissioners' findings. !The franchise would be left as at the j present tone. The minimum v-x I .i [bad been fixed -at 6d in the £., Overdrafts- were also to be limited to th" eatimated uncollected revenue for the current yerir. Provision was being made for exemptions regarding floods and other unpremeditated occurrencca Assured fihainc? had been 'provided for. Uir/der the EMI ft sum of £l°('o or ir-.iro <n,>t lees) would be set aside 'by the Government for local bodies. , The ordinary subsidies w'culd cont'unif lis boretcfee?. T'he Government n> 'cendsd to cistaiblcsh reads acid ma'n•fcnon the' sam?, the .Cciunties maintain ing tho aiest. Aifter the paedng of 'fclre Bell, no Enginecir or County Cbr* could bo employed witbout papsmg some examination' to dnsplay his fitness for the position. Town plamniniv bad also been provided for, on? olnuse :pe.i,pul.a,ting ifclia* it is necessaiv to itake a poll for a km for townplanning a po-iotion must ho presented, signed by'tun .per cent, of the ratepayers. "The B,ii',l was not to'lbe the last tilling in local government, but it wa»; drifted in ac.or.lance with the wisho* of the la'rge and representative conference which sat 111 , Wellington recently.The Bill was read a first time.