THE LOCAL BODIES AND FINANCE BILL

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2026, 2 July 1885, Page 3

THE LOCAL BODIES AND FINANCE BILL

In view of the deep intcre-tt which h taken in the local (Jo\ eminent proposals of the Government, tho follow ing synop-ns of tin* aboio measure will be welcome :— Tim act entitled "An Act to provide for grants in kid of local bodirs, for tho construction of wink* within thoir respective jurisdictions, and for otherwise promoting tho efficiency of local bodies, and for other purposes." The nhoit titlo is "The Local Bodies I( 'inanco iwd Power* Act, 1883." It is to come into operation on October 1 of this year, wllon the autn of £160,000 is to be placed by tho Colonial Treasurer to tho credit of nn account which is to Ir* established for tho purpose of giving effect to it. Thin is gtipponed to mi ffi en for the fiist six monthH, and thereafter for the upaci; of twenty -live yearn a sum of £.'(00,000 shall bo set aside for the first hve years from the Public Woiks Fund, and from tho Connolidtvtcd Fund m certain piopoitiuna ; And for the last twenty year* fiom tho Con•ojidatcd Fund nlone. This fund shall bo aided yearly by the Treasurer as net forth in the following Hchedulo, and where the local amount required would exceed the vyholo kiiiti of £300,000, fill subsidie* and 'fixed amounts distributable shall ho reducible ; and in no yenr uhall the Towns and ii< troughs leceivo more than £'Y>,ooo for the nix months. During the ye ir ending 3l.st Maich, 1880. Payment can only b« made to the cxtont of one-half the i amount authorised by tho following schedule .—. — ANNUAL SUJ.smiKS PAYABLE TO LOT Ah noiilK-s. '(A) To each Borough and Town Board (1) when tho general rates actually collected •hall n>>t e\ceed tho total sum of £750, then A mm m cpul, of £1 for every £1 of such j rate-, and no more. (2) When thogeneml f;ite s» c illoctcl shall oxc sod a totivl sum of £/.")Q, thim a Hii:n equal t» 10 < for £1 of hucli rates and no m >r.), piovided tiiat no *les<er sum that £709 or greater tlia.ii £1503 shall be paid in any oiio ye ir under this mil) suction (2) to any such Council or Board. (B) To each council of a county wherein thero are no rood diutricts (\) whan the ganrrnl ratps so collected by the county o<ntacif »h»ll not o^cojud & total mm of £ fOOO, then a stun equal to £2 for ovary £1 of such rates and no more ; (2) when the general rates so collected el mil exceed a total «urn of £1000 then ft wim equal to £1 for every £1 of such rat* and no m ho, provided that no leM *iun than £2030, nor a groatc-r »uut than £10,000, Khali bo paid in any one year under this sub-section (2) to any »uch council. (C) In respect of counties when thoro arc road districts (a) to oacl) road bud > ud in such county (1) when the general rates actually collected by tho road board in tin road district shun not exeeeit a, totil mini of £"iOO, then a Hiita equal to £'2 for ovoiy £1 of such rates, and mi uioto; (2) wlion tin* guntral rattw ho collected nh.ill exceed a j total sum of £.~)00, then a sum equal to £1 for every £1 of such rates and no more, piovided that no lesser sum th.in £1000, nor greater thnif £2000, shall bo paid in any ono year under this »iih-sjctioii (2) to any riuch rotd Imuj. Piovided that wbVnever any road district becomes divided into two or moio road districts, these rond districts shall each share under the last sub-Hoction if the rond district at tho time of division would, by ft rate of /d in tho £ on the capital value, have levied more thnn fc.")00. (1)) To tho c ninty council. (1) when the general rates actually collected by the county council m tin: outlying district* of such county slull not oxcot'd a total sum of £~>oo, thin a Mum equal to £2 for every £1 of such mtos, and no more; (2) when the guiii-ial niton ho collected sindl exceed a total Hum of t5OO, then a sum equal to £1 for every £1 of such rntes, and no more, provided tlmt no les*er sum than £1000 ■m gie iter than t'2ooo shall bo paid in any r fnu yuar under tln.s s>ib nection (2) to any Mich (ounul. J'rovided that whenever <jio or more ioa<l boards or parti of road Hoards muigt) in a county and become a i riding, or pait of u riding, the same rate of ■übsidy shall be paid to tho county council "on ftcconnt of such riding or part of riding -mm would havo been payable had the riding or part of riding continued a road board or road boards ,«• pait of road boards. Pro- ' vided that no greater sum in a'l than £10,000 shall bo paid in any one year in respect of tho total amount of general rates leviod and collected together by the boards in tho road districts, and by the county council m the .outlying distiicts in any county, and in Ridings by the last proviso : and when the total amount of subsidy that would be .payable in runpect of tho total amount of goneral rates collected as last aforesaid shall exceed £10,000, then the total amount of subsidy to he payable to the road boards and. county council shall bo apportioned pro rata according to tho amount of genoidl rates collected as aforesaid by a uch load boards and the county council respectively. lv addition to the amounts payable as nlfoFesaid,' eleven of the outlying counties, ,-ftioh a» Coiomandel, Collingwood, Lake aVUftpeka, (irey, and others, aro to ro«^#ivu yearly for Hve and a half years 0000. Any excess of the fund established M nhovt 'roturuH ty tho Ccuiolid^tud

Rovenuo Jind Public WorkH Fund, in proportion to the suina tmnsfeired fiom them lespectively. Tlin act further given extremely lnrge pouets to loc.il bodies foi the purposes of wining money on security of special latos, and two or more local bodies tn.iy combine nnd iaiso .v loan. Hut though sued bououing may take place, and though it is proposed t<> give bodies power to n> borrow to pay loans, there are ceitain safeguards against reckleiineis. Clause 24 provides that no money shall be borrowed under the pto\isions of this act, except with the sanction of tho ni.ijonty of not less than three-fifths of tho latepayers, who sh ill record thoir votes .it tho poll, which h.is to be taken aftei due ad veitisement of the intention to boirow. The pioposnl mice earned by the l.itepnyors, .111 ndveitisement .»nd pubhu.itiou in tho (ja/ette makes it binding. Local bodies, 01 a nu-ibei of them unifcd, may memoiialise the (!o\cinment after a poll ,x% al)o\e, and agiee to pay tlie lnterent upon one half the cost of constructing a district 1 ail way, an mteiest on expenditure for twenty yeais after 1U coinnletimi, and, if the (Jeneial Assembly Hhall sco fit to i>io\ide funds for the other half, and the construction should be ivuthotiscd by I'ailiament, the line may be conRtructcd jvccordtngly.