SIZE OF COUNTIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 85, 27 April 1937, Page 13

SIZE OF COUNTIES

Hawke's Bay and Southland Quoted by Minister ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY "To show that there is nothing very drastic about my proposal I um going to give a few simple comparative figureg that make the points," said the Hon. W. E. Parry in his address to Soutli Taranaki local bodies delegates at Hawera. He suggested one county instead of the Hawera, Waimate West, Eltham, Stratford aiid Whangamomona. U'I have taken as a basis tho faet that there are large coimties in existence to-day which can be said to be operating quite sucoessfiilly," said the Minister. The two basic cases as regardg area, population and rateable value are Hawke' s Bay county in the Nortb Island and Southland county in the South Island. Nobody can tell me that counties of a size, population and rateable value such as those two cannot be properly administered, and I find that they do not eontain a large number of interior local bodies. "Applying the case of those two -connties to a comparison with the proposed amaigamated county for South' Taranaki, I find that the following comparative figures exist: — Hawke' s Bay: Toijal area, 1673 square miles; rateable capital value, £10,639,415; population, 15,779. Southland County: Total area, 3736 square miles; rateable capital value, £12,583,373; population, 27,126. Proposed Amaigamated County : Total area, 1347 square miles; rateable capital value, £11,457,633; population, 18,816. "On these figures the proposed new county compares quite favourably with Hawke's Bay and •Southland and makes a desirable county unit," said Mr Parry. "On the basis of the new type of local governing area of control which I visualise, I am satisfied that ihe North Island needs only about 25 counties, and the South Island 20," said Mr Parry. "Those counties are to be strong unifcs able to cope with the government in an efficient and. scientific way, and are to have the funds necessary to attend to the major local requirements of a locality."