COUNTY COUNCILS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1933, Page 6

COUNTY COUNCILS

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

address by minister. (Ter Press Association —Copyright). WELLINGTON, July 26. The reverting to a larger and stronger county ay orginally contemplated when local government’ reformers of 1876 set about their task, was put forward as a possible basis of local government- reform by the Minister of Literal A (loirs, Hon Young, when addressing the Counties’ Association confeionce to-day. He said there were 125 operative Counties with a large number of subsidiary boards, making a total of nearly 700 local bodies for a country with a population of a trillion and a half. This seemed somewhat excessive, and one was not surprised that there was an incessant demand Tor local government reform .

He traced briefly the history of the increase hi Counties and Councils and subsidiary boards, and went on to say that County Councils themselves had risen to the occasion, and had been themselves investigating beneficial results of possible amalgamations among themselves and the absorption of' subsidiary authorities. There was no question that the lias's of reform was in the direction of reverting to the larger and stronger counties originally contemplated, and he, fel t co niido n t -;t b e del ega tes w oul d ael opt a, broad oritlookain- iildeavouring-to seciire for the County Council the high position if should occupy in its sphere bT local government, and not merely Hhe particular aspirations of special localities they were representing ifo.r the time being. Reference to the amalgamation of focal bodies was also made by the president,. Air A. E. .lull in his address. He dealt comprehensively with tlie present- position. He pointed out that where, there, were 320 road boards fifty years ago, there wore now only 18. Taking rural local bodies, but including . town districts subject to county jurisdiction, there were 125 counties, 18, road boards. 27 dependent town boards, 43 river boards, "49 'rabbit boards, or a total- of'32o' rural bodies, which was precisely the number of road boards alone - that were; hi; operation in .1883, Tlie count of rabbit"bo'a-rds-as-local bodies, was useful tosthOse wishing;, to build up a big total, but as they only operated foFofier'FflrpOse 'and tiller total administrative costs of ‘49 hoards was only £3OOO J ' /: per antiiim, they were quite negligible- as far as rural bodies were concerned;' ‘

The total debt-in i93i , ‘was' and the total annual charge £620.62-1, while the capital value of counties was ~£343,017,269. so that rural" indebtedness was only about two and a half per cent, of the capital-fitfue, surely a very trifling rural 'debt. HA said Kg had kept out of the figures, . bodies which were urban as. weH";as rural, y kb,harbour, hospital ah'd..power- boards •He Ay as pleased to.' say 'that n^'a.'re-.', suit of circulars sent on,}:'to County Councils there appeared "to be a readiness to consider,,,;. an.. f -„aiiiplgamation scheme, but- it appeared there whs. a desire to jia-ve some,.outside . commission set ■fljU-'f.C).. riialte - appfbpriiitK representation s,' find { be. .would -i : i iivite:■■.the conference to . sot up a committee' to consider proposals for the amalgamation of local bodies.

.Alfiter discussion, which ishowed -a general agreement that .;;nr dgamation numt' come in connection wjt.h local bodies, ift wa« resolved to set up a committee to report on the amalgamation of counties. •

Mg Young afterwards expressed pleas, lire, saying that tbe report of the committee ‘ would bo useful.

Mr Young, in the course of an address to the; Counties’ Association;'took the- opportunity of aekirbwl'edging the railnner in which county councils, in common with- other local authorities, had - endeavoured to meet 4 he difficult circumslarices of ratepayers j. n the matter of .rate levies. “Let me say that I have never missed ail opportunity of pointing out to those who complain to me. that Jocal authorities are too severein their demands, that -local.,authorities, as corporate, bodies, have their 'com* mittmciit’s to meet, that, they, must keep services going, and that, they are extending to their ratepayers every possible consideration in these difficult times..