3

H.—22a

Election of Chairman. -; 9. Clause 14: Chairman to be elected on the second Wednesday in May. Subclause (2) to be altered to read " If unable within one month to appoint a Chairman, the Governor to appoint one." Position of Chairman to be Honorary. 10i That the position of Chairman should be maintained as an honorary one. : Vacancies on Board. 11. Vacancies on Board or commit!ees to be filled by Board itself, as at present. Appointment of Committees. 12. That the Board may appoint committees, not necessarily from its own members, to carry out the functions of the Board, and may delegate to each Committee such of its powers as may be deemed to be expedient. Power under Public Works Act to acquire SlteSi 13. Clause 19, subsection (a): Add " Or any addition to any site either by proceedings under the Public Works Act or other methods:" Plans of Proposed Building Operations to be First submitted to Mlnisteßi 14. Clause 21, line, 4: After the word "institution" the words "involving an expenditure of over £100 " be inserted, and a three-weeks time-limit inserted. Travelling-expenses. 15. That the Chairman and members of Boards and committees .when absent from home oil Board business be paid all locomotion expenses, together with 12s. 6di a day. Staff Appointments. 16. That, in lieu of the provision giving the Minister power to veto any appointment, the following provision be made: "That no appointment of medical officer or matron shall be made until after the expiration of twenty-one days after the Minister shall have been notified of the intention to make such an appoinment." Contracts above £20 to be by Public Tender. 17. That the word "twenty" be inserted in place of the word "ten" in the first line of clause 28, subsection (3). Subsidies. 18. That the subsidies from the Government continue as at present. Adjustment of Rateable Values. 19. That a special mode of adjustment of rateable values should be laid down in section 37, as between local authorities rating on the annual value and local authorities rating on the capital value. Borrowing-powers. 20. That Boards, as well as Trustees of separate institutions, should be empowered to borrow for certain purposes (vide section 32 of 1885 Act and sections 2 and 3, 1907). Power to sell Property. 21. That in the event of any small properties coming into the hands of the Board, power be given to sell. 22. That power be given to the Boards, subject to the Minister's approval, to sell or exchange any lands or portions of lands vested in them and found to be unsuitable, or not necessary, for hospital and charitable-aid purposes, the proceeds of such sale to be applied only in the acquisition of other lands, or in the extension of building for hospital or charitable-aid purposes. Acquisition of Interest accruing from Bequests. 23. That subsection (2) of section 53 be amended by providing that the interest accruing be accumulated and applied to augment the bequest, and not to apply towards the maintenance of the institution. Separate Institutions. 24. That the system of separate institutions, as at present in force, is approved by this Conference, and should be continued in cases where the majority of the contributory local authorities desire it.