LOCAL BODIES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1932, Page 7

LOCAL BODIES

THEIR ADMINISTRATION. ■ ITEMS W INTEREST FROM Handbook. 7... The seventh issue' of the New Zealand Local Authorities handbook, for 1932, has teen published. As a •measure of economy .the 1932 handbook has been further reduced in size by the omission of details of . valuations of country ridings. It deals, fully with the history of the .system of local government, giving its* particular functions and powers, and dealing with the financial aspect. The statistical. section deals in detail with Waiters of ratiiig, loans, analysis, of \debt, and the trading undertakings of locriT 1 altthoritieS.'" ‘ " n !'’‘ ' ,>s ’ * POPULATION. Contained in the initial table iii tlis handbook is ail informative summary of the area population, valuation and numbers of holdings and. of livestock in the Dominion by counties, inclusive of their internal boroughs and towdistricts. The estimated population of New Zealand proper at April 30, 1931, was 1,510,940. Rating on unimproved values is shown to be much more popular in boroughs than in counties, and 65 per cent, of borough inhabitants are in towns rating on the unimproved value, of property. Taking all districts rating on the unimproved value, it is found the' 57 per cent, of the people of tne> Dominion are in districts so rating. ; ASSETS AND INDEBTEDNESS. The assets of local bodies at,March 31, 1931, were valued at £78,699,218 made up of cash assets £12,194,41/ am 1 other assets estimated at £66,504,801. Roads, to which the great r part rf th© rxpenditure of counties and road districts goes, do not figure iii the assets. Daring ihe twenty years. 1910-11 to 1930-31. the gross indebted ness of local governing authorities o v account of debentures and stock i” circulation, increased from £ls 727.6 b to £65,692,606. The inscrib'd debt rose, from £2,972.795 in 1910-11 t£2,988,298 in 1912-13, hut as a result of the discontinuance of this tvpe of Government advance, it has fallen year by year to £1,969,027 m 1930-31 State advances loans, however, which w,’ere not inaugurated until 1911. i r creased from £404 103 in the first year to £5,024,403 in 1930-31. The gror debt, which in 1910 amounted .to file 4s Id pet- head of the population, increased nearly five-fold to £4B 2s z.d pc head in 1931. Municipal debt represents over half of the local body debt. Since 1921 the number of administrative, professional and clerical officials ha is increased by 64 per cert, n n ii the number of other employees by 178 per cent, the later incr'ease, however, being due mainly to the employment of relief workers bydocal bod'eo.