LOCAL BODY AMALGAMATIONS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 106, 21 May 1937, Page 4

LOCAL BODY AMALGAMATIONS.

No doubt a good deal of local interest would be aroused by our yesterday's report of tlie discussion by the Minister of Internal Affairs with the Hawke's Bay County Council on the scheme for the amalg&mation of local bodies as set out in the Biil that was circulated just before the last session of Parliament rose. There can be little doubt, generally speaking, that the present system of local government, which has grown up under conditions that have been radically changed during the last twenty years or so, is badly in need of revision. As the Minister pointed out, with a population of only some million and a half we have some 700 local bodies exercising a great variety of functions. It is inevitable that this must involve not only a go'od deal of economic waste but also a lack of co-ordination in the carrying out of works of improvement. In fact, in not a few cases we find within quite limited areas bodies which regard their activities in this respect as being in a,ctual conflict with one another. This is, of course, a condition of affairs that does not make for anything like ordered progress. Any movement, therefore, towards consolidating control of local affairs is worthy of the fullest consideration. At the same time it is eaay to be seen that any desirable change is not to be brought about without occasioning some little friction, and the : Goyernmeht is to be commended for giving plenty of time for the bodies Concerned to familiarise themselves with its proposals; The sorrow is that it did not follow the same course with regard to a good deal of its other Iegislation, which, rushed through Parliament, one measure tumbling in eager haste over the heels of another, has had the effect of throwing the industries, trades and services of the country into altogether unnecessary confusion. This has undoubtedly resulted in retarding rather thstn expediting the permanent solution of the unemployment problem. , The propo^ed measure now under review, though given m broad title as the Local Government (Aimalgamation Schemes) Bilh is just now being discussed almost exclusively • in its relation to county councils, whereas it is perhaps rather with respect to the smaller local bodies that it requires more Immediate attention. However, the Government takes a different view and is apparently bent first of all on reconstituting the counties and establishing their councils as the chief governing bodies within their larger readjusted areas, excluding the municipalities. Possibly this may be the best method of approach, short of establishing some even bigger regional authorities ,akin to our old provincial governments. Even in this initial plan, however, it is evident that the Government is going to meet with some opposition. The whole of the Taranaki provincial district, for instance, would seem to be against it. Its acceptanfce by the Hawke's Bay County Council is made relatively easy by the size and wealth of the area under its jurisdiction. Indeed; the Minister himself points to it as a)n example of what, in his opinion, a county should be. Thus this particular county has no reason to fear the loss of its identity, the prospect being rather that this juricdiction may be enlarged. The difficulty will be in inducing amalgation among counties nqt so fortunately placed, for with them there are many local considerations to be taken into account, As to them the Minister yesterday would. appear to have indicated that amalgaimation would be voluntary. At the same time, however, there are provisions in the Bill which to a layman's eye would make it competent for the Government to compel amalgamation on schemes of its own construction. Experiences in other directions do not suggest that the present Government would be ialtogether slow in exercising the power thus to be placed in its hands. Moreover, it is to be noted that, as in so much of its other Iegislation, the Minister is the one to have the laist and the sole say.