The People Should Rule

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 127, 15 June 1937, Page 7

The People Should Rule

H. B.

FliENCH.

Sir, — It is a year since I asked whether the Hastings Borough Council was justified in raising the rates over 16 per cent. As may be remembered, the protestor received neither a vote of thanks nor a medal. At least twice through the year, our Mayor compiented on inestimated rise in costs, and hinted at a further increase in the rate levy for 1937-8, Yet tho 1936-7 year ended with a surplus of thousands 6f pounds! If the councillors and tho public cau bcar the trutli, the fact is that sueh a surplus in a body like a borough. council dp the opposite of carol'ul linancing. In a trading corporation dependant on tfie voluntary acceptanco of the service it offers such a result is deservedly a source of cpngratulation, but in a local body whose rates receipts can be aecurately forecasted, to compel ratepayers to contribute thousands of pounds above the expenditure for the year, despite an expenditure heavicr than anticipated, confirms the need of tho prptest made a year ago. It was quilo interesting to read that some members of both tho Hawke'e Bay and the Patangata County Councjla expressed Ihe view that the ordinary rutcpaycr is incapable of judgiiig whether or not amalgamation of local bodies' districts is de&iTable. In tliat view they fall into the same error as the Minister of Intcrnal Affairs. F Bupreme Court judges express prefer ence for the judgmcut of ordinary men on the ascerlainable facDs in cases which coiue before that Court to that of so-eallcd experts, then a student of government will find more cause to justify the convietion that balauced progress dcpeuds upon the measure of in(elligcncc. respoiisibilitv, and imlcpendenco of the avorage elector. I was a rnember of the local-bodies couference callcd by the Mackcnzie Government a quarter of a cenliiry ago. The thcn Minister of Internul Affairs

said there had never been such a gathering of local body experts in the history of the Dominion. To an expert the method of selection justified the Minister 's statement. In 6ach liospital district every local autkority was represented in the selection of from four to eight delegates. Yet the weakness of that gatnering of sixty men was the want of general knowledge of the varied aspects of local-body service. Every man had given years of service to the public, but the hospital admiliistrator knew liftle of harbour-board problems, and less of how to keep roads open without requisite money. It would have been easier to obtain a comprehenpive constructave poliey from Sixty members of the general public after a plear presentation of arguments £or and against changes in local-body administratipn than from the siyty experts. At the selection of the eight delegates for the Auckland district held tn the crowded City Council ckamber, I drew attention to the deplorable state of ©very road giving-access to the larglest city in the Dominion. The legai liabijity was upon struggling country settlers to keep thoso main arteries > open, and towards which the Auckland tJity Council was not liablo to pay a penny piece. The resolutions demand ing reform were carried unanimously; not a single representative of the city of Auckland could gainsay the fact.s. Changes have come. Mainly they have come from the people. The great reduction in the number of road-board districts camo from the ratepayers. The motonsts implored various Governments to improve the roads by taxiii" them. It was the people who taught the inedical profession that our hospitals were not pauper institutions, and from them has come the demand for sickpess ansurauce. The Hon. Mr. Semplo consulted with the organisations of road-users before he drafted his traneport enactmeijts. Had the Hon. Mr, parry, the Hon, Mr, Jones, and the Hon. Mr. Armstrpng dpne likewise, instead of forcing their pet theories upon the public, thpre would be less ground for compiaint. I.et the people decide their own local governmenti Let the people decide whether they desire a portion of tlleir own money to go to broadcasting stations. Let the people decide whether they or union secretaries slifilj rule,— Yours, etc„

Hastings, Juno 14, 1937.