F.—No. 1

8

PROCEEDINGS OE SELECT COMMITTEE

Saturday, 12th September, ISGB. Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. D. Bell, Captain Kenny, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Mervyn, Mr. Jollie, Mr. Eeid. Minutes of previous meeting read and confirmed. The Chairman notified to the Committee that he had received the Bill from the Attorney-General,, with the amendments made by the Committee up to the 31st August (in manuscript), put into legal phraseology by the Attorney-General. Mr. Dillon Bell moved, and the question was proposed: That the Committee having now gonethrough the Bill, the Chairman be directed to report to the House the general character of the amendments made. That the Chairman bo directed to append to such report the several memoranda of Sub-Committees or private Members which have been presented to the Committee, to point out the general objects thereof; and to state whether, and if so how far, the subjects of such memoranda have been approved by the Committee. The Committee divided thereupon, and the names were taken down as follows: —■ Ayes, 2. Noes, 3. Mr. Dillon Bell, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Ei'id. Captain Kenny, Mr. Mervyn. So it passed in the negative. Mr. Curtis moved, and the question was proposed : That the Committee having now gone through the Bill, the Chairman be directed to report to the House the general character of the amendments made. That the Chairman be directed further to report that the Committee have not been able to agree upon, and are therefore not prepared to recommend, any amendments upon the clauses providing for the endowment of road districts ; but that the Chairman be requested to append to his report the several memoranda of (Sub-Committees or private Members, and to point out the general tenor of the recommendations contained in them. The Committee divided thereupon, and the names were taken down as follows : — Ayes, 3. Noes, 2. Mr.'Curtis, Mr. Dillon Bell, Captain Kenny, Mr. Eeid. Mr. Mervyn. The Committee then adjourned sine die. ■

APPENDIX. No. 1. Memokahdtjm by Messrs. D. Bell, J. Vogel, and D. Eeid. The subscribers hereunto beg to advise the embodiment in "The Boad Board Districts Bill" of provisions conformable with the following recommendations, to apply to the Province of Otago, and such other Provinces the circumstances of which they may bo deemed to suit: — 1. A large number of small road districts exist within the Province of Otago, and the subscribers hereto deem it highly important to encourage their consolidation into larger districts. The Bill should enable them to amalgamate of their own will in order to come under the Act, no district of less than fifteen square miles being admissible. But besides this, it is desirable to encourage and enable a still larger amalgamation of districts after they have come under the Act. To this end, means should be supplied by which two or more districts can unite, each district so uniting to be a subdivision or ward of the united district, and to be represented in the united District Board by three members. One-third of the members of each subdivision to retire annually. 2. As a still further incentive to amalgamation, provision should be made by which districts of a certain size, say not under one hundred square miles, and possessing rateable property calculated to return on a shilling in the pound assessment not less than £400 a year, whether composed of road' districts uniting, or being a district coming newly under the Act, should be constituted into Shires, with subdivisions or wards, as in the case of road districts. Extended powers should be given to the shires. They should be allowed to borrow money upon rates under certain conditions, but this powerneed not be given this session ; they should be intrusted with the repair and maintenance, and, by agreement, with the construction of the main roads; they should regulate the management of and receive the fees from pounds and slaughter-houses ; they should receive the tolls on the main roads within their limits; and, in short, from time to time, should be intrusted with those functions which can be best exercised under local supervision. 3. As one or more non-consenting districts might prevent the advantageous union of a large number of districts, power should be given under conditions to compel union, such power to be exercised by Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council specifying the boundaries. This recommendation should apply not only to compelling union of existing road districts, to enable them to come under the Act, but also, with sufficient safeguards as to petitioning and investigation, should apply to road districts constituted under the Act, both in respect to leaving it to the Superintendent and Provincial Council to fix their original boundaries, as also from time to time to compel their union. 4. A General Boad Board for the Province to be constituted, to consist of members selected and ajipointed by the District Eoad Board and Shire Councils, each Board and Council to appoint one