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A Chairman of an Elcctric-power Board may be paid an honorarium not exceeding £300 per annum subject to Ministerial approval( J ). A Chairman of a Catchment Board may be paid £250 per annum( 2 ). There is no provision for honoraria for Chairmen of Drainage, River, and Babbit Boards. Members of a Local Railways Board are entitled to £3 3s. per day for attending meetings or transacting business for the Board. The Chairman may receive an honorarium of £200 per annum( 3 ). It is evident that there is a wide variation in the honoraria paid to Chairmen of the various classes of local authorities which does not seem to be related to differences in responsibility. In all cases, except that of County Chairmen, travelling-expenses, in addition to the honoraria, may be paid. H. REMUNERATION OF MEMBERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES Except in the case of members of Power Boards, no member of a local authority is entitled to any remuneration for attendances at meetings. Power Board members may be paid " such reasonable remuneration for their services as may be prescribed( 4 )." The amount prescribed is £1 Is. per meeting, and is paid by nearly all Power Boards. Members of Auckland Transport Board( s ) and Christchurch Tramways Board are entitled to £L 10s. for each meeting, with a maximum of £78 per annum. Here again there is no justification for differences in treatment of members of different Local Authorities. In a number of cases it was pointed out that where local authorities have their meetings in the daytime, some members are out of pocket because of loss of income, and this fact does definitely preclude some potential councillors from offering their services. I. TRAVELLING-EXPENSES Members of practically all local authorities are entitled to travelling-expenses when travelling on the business of the local authority. In some cases travelling-expenses are allowed for attendance at meetings. There is considerable variation in the rates of travelling-expenses payable, as will be seen from the following details :— Boroughs. —Actual expenses may be refunded on business authorized by the Council involving distances over three miles (one way only). Members are also entitled to be refunded for cost of conveyance after meetings when ordinary public means of conveyance are unavailable ( 6 ). Where a Borough Council is affiliated to the New Zealand Municipal Association the actual and reasonable expenses of its representatives (not exceeding £40 in any one year) attending any conference or executive committee is payable to those representatives('). Counties. —Members are entitled to actual transport expenses for attending meetings of the Council or Committee meetings, or attending to business of the Council when duly authorized, plus living-expenses at the rate of £1 per day of twenty-four hours when away from home. Mileageallowance for private cars at the rate of Bd. per mile is payable where no other means of transport is available, also garaging expenses not exceeding ss. per day( 8 ) ( 9 ). County Councils, as boroughs, may pay expenses (not exceeding £40 in any one year) of delegates attending the conference or the executive of the Counties Association^ 0 ) ( u ). Town and Road Boards. - There is no specific provision in the Town Boards Act, 1908, or the Road Boards Act, 1908, for travelling-expenses, and in these cases any travelling-expenses can be paid only out of " unauthorized.'^ 2 )' Electric-power Boards.—Actual and reasonable travelling-expenses in attending meetings of the Board or Committees thereof are payable^ 3 ). Motor-car-mileage allowance at 6d per mile is also payable. Electric-power Boards may pay expenses (not exceeding £40 per annum) of delegates attending the Conferences of the Power Boards Association( u ). Hospital Boards.—Hospital Boards may pay their members actual expenses for attendance at meetings of the Board or Committees, or for a visit of inspection to an institution when authorized to do so, plus living-expenses at £1 per day when absent from home, and mileage at Bd. per mile and garaging fees not exceeding ss. per day( 13 ). Hospital Boards may also pay actual reasonable expenses (no limit) of delegates to the conference of the Hospitals Association^ 0 ). Harbour Boards. —The provision as to Harbour Boards is similar to Hospital Boards, except that the garaging fee is 2s. 6d. per night( 17 ). Harbour Boards may also pay actual and reasonable expenses (no limit) of delegates attending the conference and Executive of the Harbours Association^ 8 ).

(1) Electric-power Boards Act, 1925, section 27. The honorarium may not be changed during the term of office of any Chairman, but a re-election of a Chairman is deemed a new appointment. ( 2 ) Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act, 1941, section 59. (») Local Railways Act, 1914, sections 20 and 34, and regulations thereunder dated 12th September, 1921, and 26th March, 1936. (*) Electric-power Boards Act, 1925, section 45. ( 5 ) Auckland Transport Board Act, 1928, section 37; Christchurch Tramway District Act, 1920, section 26. (°) Municipal Corporations Aot, 1933, section 103, and regulations thereunder dated 30th August, 1921, and 11th August, 1924. (') Munioipal Associations Act, 1939, seotion 8. ( 8 ) Counties Amendment Aot, 1927, section 6, and regulations thereunder dated 21st December, 1927. ( 9 ) Counties Aot, 1920, seotion 132. ( 10 ) Counties Act, 1920, seotion 132. ( u ) Note.—A County Chairman in receipt of an honorarium is not entitled to travelling-expenses when travelling on business of the county, but is paid travelling-expenses for attendance at meetings : Counties Act, 1927, section 8. ( 12 )Eor a discussion of unauthorized expenditure, see pages 115-116. i;:§ (13) Electric-power Boards Act, 1925, section 44. (i«) Electric-power Board Supply Authorities Amendment Act, 1934, seotion 0. v '.f (iB) Hospital and Charitable Institutions Aot, 1926, section 35, and regulations thereunder dated 13tli April, 192 7. f ( 16 ) Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1926, seotion 42. ( 17 ) Harbours Act, 1923, section 91. ( 18 ) Harbours Amendment Act, 1933, section 9, and regulations thereunder dated 12th July, 1945.

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