AMALGAMATION NOT APPROVED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 90, 3 May 1937, Page 7

AMALGAMATION NOT APPROVED

Waipukurau County Chairman's Views "BACKS TO THE WALL" Opposition to the Government 'a proposals for amalgamation of local bodies was expressed at the monthly meeting of the Waipukurau County Council held on Saturday. The chairman, Mr A. C. Russell, said he had eeen a report of negotiations in Sonth Oanterbury, where a proposed amalgamation of five counties had been discussed, .There was by no means unanimity among them as to what should be done, and it lopked as though the scheme would finally fall through. "We've got three counties here, and I don't think the three chairmen will agree to amalgamation," continued Mr Ruesell. "If dt comes to a re-arrange-ment of boundaries it is a .different thing, but if it is a matter of amalgamation I do not think anything should be done without consultation with the ratepayers. "The Government says that Jf the counties do not take voluntary steps tor amalgamation, commissions may be set up to tell them what to do and that they may be worse off, but I don't think eo. I think we should wait until a commiesion sits and not make any voluntary move toward amalgamation. "The county has been quite well faandled, and I think we should get our backs to the wall and fight to retai;n our independence. The propor> way to handle this is by a vote of tfie ratepayers^ The present Government fig a democratic party and has always professed to believe in referendum. If they stand by that we have nothing to fear, but the trouble is that any Government looks where the votes are coming from, and unfortunately at present the towns are ruling the country. All the agitatdon is coming from the towns and the chambers of commerce, but we know more about our counties than anyone else." The chairman then read a letter from a member of the Makara County Council, which had been published, in which much the same opinions were expressed. The writer of the letter said that the statement that 95 per cent. of the counties were opposed to flmalgamatioiv was correct. The engineer said that Cr, Monckton had raised a very important point when discussing amalgamation with him, and that was, that nnder amalgamation ratepayers in what . were now the smaller counties would not get the benefit oi the full amount of the. Government subsidy on rates as they did at present because there was a limit to the amount on which this was payable. "What I dread most in amalgamation i,s the doing away with riding accounta. Some ridings will then get plenty and otheTs will ^e starved," said Mr Russell. Crg. Elliott and Taneey said that they had lived in big counties and had found this was bo. It was resolved to support the action of the Makara County Council in the matter of asking for a vote of those affected.