LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 49, 27 September 1907, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

At a meeting of the Ngaruawahia branch ol' the New Zealand Farmers' Union, held on Saturday last, lln % subject of Hie. " Local (Government Hill, 1906," was discussed. .Anion;. 1 ; the speakers was Mr J. A. Voinifi, a candidate for tlie Tatiran;.;a electorate at the forthcoming general election, who said (lie question of local government was a great one, and deeply concerned the farmer in his business. In the country the work of the local bodies wa.s devoted mainly to the construction am] maintenance of roads, and the successful carrying on of" the business of the farmer depended largely upon the condition of Ihe roads he worked over. The principle of the Bill was in the direction of consolidating the multitude of laws and small governing bodies under which the country districts at present worked. This was a step in the right direction, and he heartily approved of it. lie pointed out that by consolidating and centralising", I lie cost of administration would be greatly decreased, thus allowing' larger sums to be spent upon road improvements. The great aim was to obtain the maximum degree of efficiency in expenditure with a minimum of clerical, engineering and other expenses, lie believed that by the absorption of a number of the smaller local bodies into larger ones, possessing greater powers than at present enjoyed by county councils, and given an assured finance and a broader latitude in expenditure, much good would result, In that ease each district would get according to its rights and (Government , grants would be expended without political inlluence and with greater fairness. The propriety of the State taking" over the main arterial roads was not do be questioned, but il'lhe Bill was passed and larger powers given to the County districts this would hardly be necessary. ■ -