THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1912. MUNCIPAL CONFERENCES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10686, 5 August 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1912. MUNCIPAL CONFERENCES.

r The holding of bienial Municipal '-Conferences in; 'affords., 'an. opportunity for those charged with tike management of i/v*.c affairs to exchange bpiSairons;-elucidate munSiclpail prableimy and (pafes resolutions. ' /This ws ,ve)ry good on its \\ ay. It is however,. ; Aviiot'lier the results achieved warrant the ex..pendit'ure :upoiii these Cbiiilli3r€'iiC!e!:'; N Tli3 resolutions arrived at cannot poss.biy be given the : iiorce of .tew,'for the very .good reason that an amendment Municipal ' Corporations- Act woifld ibe necessary every other; year. This, of course, ;would 'be, 4'uite impracticable. .., - It/ is, reasonable t'.-ix-pecc -ihat the law should be amended frorhl time to : time", to-mDSIt the requirements of tow<;i development and sanitary and; scientific research. II tli's 1 amendment were made once, .in. every decade, however,.. it; .would be . qni.te sufficient.: ■ In '.the meantime, the Municipal 'Ooinfeirences- could• he.made of .practical utility - if , they were, to lavoid the discussion of matters which .'should form the object bf legislation. and be confined jto the exchanging of ideas on m'tiniioipal management and the heading of addnesftes.from experts on itlie varioiis subjects'a-ffecting local I .government. ■ hi the excelled address he. gave before the Conference .last week, Lord IsJimgon, demonstrated how valuaibile ;these ; gatheranigs had become in he Old Country. , 'lrier* thb moat highly-qualified eugiineersj iir.aucial 'and sanitary experts, explained to : tne' deleftiates the latest developments '''in/, science and ftoance, and sent the ' Mayors-aaiid OouncilloTf:. home fortified •With up-to-diato ideas. 911, all matters pertaining. tt> munidpal control.' .. EL will 'readily he seen how valuable such a": :(Jonfer.©nce wotfld hece.me to - the whole of the municipalities of LI - o ■ country. ' The, hint "thrown out by JJlis 'Excellency .wiS, at ■ is hoped, .be 'appreciated .by xne Munilcipat Association of this Dqmhxon.. might be convenient to h'old the Conferences! ;in .Querent .centlres, so that delegates may be aole to gather information, by observation and cOTrlpa.risrr.iv as well as j;6y "oral feaahliug: Too ranch•.■' . importance cannot, .be attachled to -.the ■subject of town-pi aniiing, ,' and in''this, connection Lord Islington displayed a keen appreciation of the value of well-designed townships by his intensely praC"...w ■ohfjC/'.-vationv '* wmHtl ibe welil if tL.e Legislature of tii'e~Ucir.fr,.:oin were ito give this .'subject Its early and earnest consideration. It must be obvious tao the ■most casual •observer that if our cities and towns are -to hecomie healthy and ;ißeantilut, they nvu-- !be cons/lfucted upon weA-defined, tcient! : fic allies. Haw much Iras it cost every 'borough to repair the- indiscriminate and, hap-

hazard coniSifciroction of towinisWps m the ipastP If cue legislature we're to confer ob&igatione as well as powers in tM& connection upon -he muniicuipauties, th'o prospect for the future wo<u..- Jbe infinitely 'brighter. Tli't subject iaf <to\y'n-iplanning, however,, lis only on© of many whSch will require the attention of the .Legislature and of civio authorities itrom time to time. -~ would Se well, therefore, if the Municipal.Association, imtsteadoi' Wasting iits time over abstract, were . to get down the fundaments of loca' government and educate its members 'on those great questions which affect I the heallMi and prosperity 'of ; present I and futucto generations.