LOCAL BODIES' POWER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4895, 26 October 1925, Page 2

LOCAL BODIES' POWER.

HIGHWAYS BOARD'S ACTION, RESENTED IN COMMITTEE. The action of the Main Highways Board in taking over the portion of . the main South Road between Ohinewai and Taupiri from the Waikato County Council and laying it down in permanent material was a subject that drew forth a considerable - amount of discussion on the working of the Main Highways Act at the 'conference of county councils held in Hamilton on Thursday. The chairman bf.the'coun,ty considered that one ..... member made it clear that .they did not object to the action of the board in the least.. In fact, they were glad of it, as the county certainly did not have the funds witli which to do the , _ work. It was better to keep quiet ■ about the matter and everything < Would turn out satisfactorily, was the . view they took. Another member of the Waikato County Council, Mr T. H. Henderson, contended, however, .that it should be made quite clear to what extent his county was committed. The Govern- - ment, he considered, should be asked to set up a committee to investigate the whole matter, and to decide whether the ratepayers could afford to pay the higher rate demanded by the. Main Highways Board. Mr J. P. Bailey, chairman of the Waikato County Council, said that the . Huntly riding, .the portion of the - county particularly concerned in tlie ; matter, included 5000 acites of universify reserve which paid no rates whatever. The road was not there to serve the settlers, but rather the through motorists. His council was quite satisfied to leave matters as. they stood. A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT. ' The chairman contended, .however, that it was a dangerous precedent if the Highways Board was to revoke x the decisions of a local body and to dictate to them what roads were to be treated, irrespective of the wishes of the ratepayers. Mr Henderson : It is a standing disgrace that the intelligence of mem- -- hers of local bodies should be insulted by men who knOw nothing of local - < conditions, dictating a policy from Auckland. 1 It was unanimously resolved that the conference views with concern the action Of the Main Highways Board in cancelling the delegation of power to the Waikato County Council, protests against the principle of'overriding a local body in this manner, and suggests ‘that an inquiry be made as .to the ability-of -,the ratepayers to pay additional taxation. ABUSE OF POWER. Throughout tlie discussion a strong feeling was evident that the Main Highways Board should not be allowed to abuse their powers, probably through ignorance of local ( conditions. It was considered that no decision should be made by the department until the matter under review had been referred to the local District'Council, The conference; formally adapted a . resolution that the Main Highways ' Act be amended so as to restrict the power of the Highways Board to enforce payment of a, county’s quota until after receipt of a- recommendation from the local District Highways - Council in favour of such payment., Such recommendation, .the resolutionstated, should be given effect to only, after a full‘and effective inquiry as to . the ability of the county concerned to pay. :