COUNTY SUBSIDIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 117, 11 February 1919, Page 8

COUNTY SUBSIDIES

o QUESTION FOR GOVERNMENT CONSI DERATION. Hy Telegraph-Press Association. Christchurch, February 10. A ilfpiitstiiuu waited cm (lie Hon. G. \V. .Russell to-day, ami asked that Clause (I ni tlie Selwyn Comity Subdivision Act should be amended to cuaMc the counties into which (lie criminal county was divided to receive more by way of Government; subsidy lur punliu' ' works. The .Minister said the ij nest ion would be brought up for consideration by the GoVeinnieni, but he could not promise that tlie Government would jigivt; to the proposal. The wliole .system of subsidies to. local bodies was on a wrong basis. .Some districts received no subsidy whatever, and ol tiers which received small .. subsidies should have large ones. The proper .system was to base Ihe subsidies on the needs ol' Ihe districts, not on Hie amounts of the rates they collected, lie was not prepared to say whether the cutting up of the old Sehvyn County was an improvement or not, but. "lie was convinced iliat if rural government was to be placed "On a proper footing strung county councils, with enlarged powers and absolutely assured linauees, were necessary. He would not say at present how the assured finances should be provided, but he might be in a. position to do so some day. The (.iovernment should hand over lo the local bodies many things Hint they could do far better than the (.lovernment could do. Mr. Staples: You would have a kind of provincial council? 't'lio Minister said he would not make the bodies so large as to be unwieldy. One of the best administered counties m New Zealand was the Southland County. Another, very good county was the Bawke's Bay County. The question of subsidies would be held over until the whole question of local government, with the powers of local bodies, was considered, first by the people and later by Parliament. The Government was not in favour of the counties being divided in order to obtain a higher subsidy. He believed he was expressing the opinion of the Minister .of Finance. Canterbury was one of the richest and best roaded and best railed narts of New Zealand. Other districts needed the subsidy much more urgently than 'Canterbury did. UNAUTHORISED CHABGES. Purchasers who are asked lo pay more than Is. Cd. or 2s. Gd. for Fluenzol should communicate with Headquarters, Baker's Buildings, Wellington. Insist of genuine "Fluenzdl."—Advt. For Children's Hacking Cough, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure*