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any recommendations as to amendments necessary in the law for the extension of the powers of County Councils. Amendment moved by Mr. Harley agreed to, and paragraph agreed to. Mr. Jull moved the adoption of the following clause: "Counties. —That this Committee is of opinion that the multiplicity of small counties is a mistake; that the number of counties should be reduced, and that a Commission should be set up to inquire as to where amalgamation can be made, keeping in view the size, population, valuation, and community of interest of such counties. He desired to insert the word " materially " between the words "be " and " reduced." Word inserted, and clause as amended agreed to. Mr. Jull (Chairman) moved the adoption of the following paragraph: " That the Committee affirms the desirability of retaining the present system of county franchise." Motion agreed to. Mr. Jull (Chairman) moved the adoption of the following clause: " That for representation purposes the present system of ridings in counties be retained, and the County Councils have the option of keeping riding accounts or not." He desired the following verbal alterations made: that " and " be struck out and " but that " inserted in lieu thereof, and the words " as they think tit " added to the clause. Mr. Liffiton (Wanganui) objected to the clause, for the reason that it would put backblock ridings of counties at serious disadvantage. At present the backblock ridings had a certain percentage of their own to pay away and spend. Under the proposal, in some counties at any rate, such backblock ridings would have no chance whatever, and they ought to be considered. Mr. Everett (Nelson) considered that it should be obligatory on counties to keep separate riding accounts, unless they found a body of men who would do absolute justice in all cases. The keeping of accounts prevented exploitation, and, although it might cost a little more for bookkeeping, it insured justice for those immediately concerned. Certain parts of the county would be more or less exploited for the benefit of other parts. The present law saved the situation, and why was it proposed to throw it aside 1 it should be obligatory to keep riding accounts. Mr. Middleton (Southland) asked if it was not a fact that various ridings might strike a differential rate at the present time? Therefore they had to keep separate accounts, although they were not compelled to strike differential rates. in Southland they kept separate riding accounts now, and they were going to strike differential rates this year. It was manifestly unjust, seeing that some ridings did not require the same amount of money as others, to compel them to rate themselves. The liding that he represented was described as a backblock one, and roadmaterial was very expensive, and it was absolutely necessary that they should strike a higher rate than some of the other ridings. Mr. Studholmb (Ashburton) moved, That all the words after the word " Council" be struck out, with the view of inserting the following words : " shall keep riding accounts." Mr. Bruce (North Canterbury) said the idea of the Committee in passing this was to make provision for several counties—a good many, in fact—in which it was not necessary to keep riding accounts, as the rating was the same all round. The object was to make it come within the scope of a county to keep the accounts as a whole. The riding accounts would be kept naturally where there were different rates imposed, but this was to provide for exceptions. The President said the present position was, as the law stood there had to be ridings and there had to be riding accounts. The Bill brought down proposed to abolish the ridings altogether, so that each county would be for representation purposes only one body. The proposal now before the Conference was that the ridings should remain compulsorily for election or representation purposes, but that the question of the keeping of riding accounts should be at the option of the county itself. Of course, in such a case as Mr. Middleton had mentioned, of there being differential rates, it would be necessary to keep riding accounts. They would understand that if the whole clause was struck out, then the law would remain as at present, and that would mean compulsory ridings, both for representation and riding accounts. Mr. Maxwell (Taranaki) remarked that the counties were in doubt as to the law, and it would be well to make the point clear. Mr. R. Evans (North Canterbury) asked whether, if the Conference decided to throw that out, the Minister would take it as an indication from the Conference that they wished to retain the ridings under the old law. The President would read the law as it stood, so as to settle the point raised by Mr. Maxwell: " Separate accounts shall be kept of each riding of the county of any works in that riding." There was the law, and if they negatived this clause altogether he should take it as an indication that the present law should continue. Mr. Jull (Chairman of No. 3 Committee) said the position of the counties in New Zealand was very varied, and it had been found in practice that there was considerable difference in the administration, even though the law was as stated. The provisions of the original Counties Act was that the counties had control of the main roads, and the Road Boards had control of the district roads. The main road was a common charge over the whole county. Under the present law there were no main or county roads, and if a county had any road to be maintained by the whole county it must pass a special order creating a main road. There were some counties large enough to work within the scope of each riding, and there were others that preferred, if possible, to have their accounts kept as one general account, and it was for the purpose of giving some elasticity to the administration of the counties that this clause had been inserted. Mr. Venn (Horowhenua County Council) would like to return thanks to the Committee for reaffirming the system or ridings. The Crown Law Officer who had struck it out must have been in an awful condition. After twenty-five years' experience he said the keeping of ridings accounts was the salvation of local-government finance. If it had not been for the ridings the money would have been squandered far worse than it had been.