The Guardian And Evening Star, with Which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPT. 21, 1933. THE AMALGAMATION ISSUE.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with Which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPT. 21, 1933. THE AMALGAMATION ISSUE.

This district can afford to he alert in regard to the question /now being raised in regard to amalgamation of local | oodies. Mr Murdoch struck a: note at last week’s meeting of the County Council which should awaken public interest, more especially as there has been a statement by the Minister of Internal Affairs, that the commission so often spoken of is likely to bo set up, but is to confine its recommendations mainly to counties, and not to municipalities. Whether this is a sop to C’erebus for the time being to afford breathing time is not clear, but it is evident that any scheme of amalgamation to be of real value to the country should have a broader local body basis. Mr Murdoch expressed the hope that any scheme of reduction should be on a territorial basis. In the case of contiguous counties, he said, one might find one council which had been careful in its administration, and the other prodigal in its expenditure. He would object to see their own ratepayers joined up with those of another district, the administration of which had been prodigal. It would be most unfair for them to pay the debt, when the money involved had not been, spent in their own district. The general situtaion takes on a fresh view from the fact that the New Zealand Legion which is endeavouring to mould public opinion on various ■pects, has turned its attention pot improperly, to- the reduction of local bodies. But it takes a false step by determining in advance that the matter should be approached by a regional plan, the basis of which was agreed upon in 1930 when town planning was decided o n. At that time a very halfhearted meeting of local body representatives was held at Greymouth, and certainly did not favour the general adoption of the town planning system for the respective districts, but a provisional area was agreed to as a “region” more out of compliment to the visiting surveyors who wanted something as a basis for guidance, and so the West Coast region was determined as the areas of the Buffer, Inangahua, i Grey and 'Westland Counties, with interior boroughs. Now the Legion is disposed to fix on that rough and. ready “region” as one for action in regard to amalgamation as covering the social and economic interests of the- Coast, which of course it does not. The Legion accepts the report referred to as the existence of community of interest within the areas particularly, and suggests to its members that they be further examined from a point of view of population, area etc., and refers students of the question to the local authorities’ handbook issued by the Government Printer, as a guide for study. The comparison suggested has been made, and appears in another column, and local students may con same over, and determine bow possible would he a general fusion of the Coast counties with any degree of satisfaction to each and all, and more particularly as far as our immediate needs are concerned. to the Westland County. Wo can leave the matter at that for the present, but suggest developments should be watched, and every care taken to maintain the interests of this district before being trifled with inequitably.