LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 445, 6 March 1912, Page 3

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

The Local Government Bill, which Was presented to Parliament during the session just closed, is much too voluminous to be dealt with in detail, but the introductory memorandum explains the object and general provisions of the measure sufficiently to form an opinion as to the operations of the Bill in the district. Briefly, a system ot Provincial Government is proposed, the Dominion for that purpose being divided into twenty-four provinces. Our own district is to be designated Raglan Province and will comprise the counties of Ohura, Waitoino, Awakino, Kawhia. Raglan, Waipa. and Waikato. The smaller town districts will be merged into the counties and the larger ones transformed into boroughs. Each Provincial Council is to be composed of representatives of all the counties and boroughs in its districts, directly elected by the county and borough electors respectively, the number to be not less than twelve nor more than twenty. The Bill provides that the Provincial Council shall consist of one or more representatives of each county and borough, though two or more small boroughs or two or more small counties may combine to elect representatives, the capital values of the districts being taken into consideration in apportioning the representation. County and borough councils will still be retained to exercise all powers within their own limits, but powers which for their effective exercise require to be extended beyond the limits of a single county or borough are to be entrusted to the Provincial Council, the chief of these being connected with hospita's charitable aid, public health, education, harbours, main roads and bridges, rivers, drainage and water supply. All hospital and charitable aid boards, education boards, river boards, drainage boards, road boards, and town boards are to be abolished also certain harbour boards, to be defined later. The Governor-in-Council may declare any road to be a provincial road, which will then be placed under the control of the Provincial Council. The councils will be empowered to appoint committees for special purposes, not necessarily limited to its own members, but outside assistance may be called in. The president is to receive an allowance not exceeding .£3OO a year. With respect to rating, a Provincial Council is to be a rating authority having power to impose general rates upon the whole province or separate rates upon any portion of the province which, with the consent of the Local Government Board, is constituted a separate rating area. Provincial rates are imposed within each borough and county comprised in the province on the same system of rating as is in force in that borough or county and on the valuation roll of the borough or county, and are collected on behalf of the Provincial Council by the Borough Councils and County Council" in the same manner as if tbey were borough or county rates. A subsidy at the rate of 15s in the. pound is payable from the Consolidated Fund to each province on the amount of its general rates. The existing counties are continued. The distinction bewteen counties in which the Counties Act is in force, counties in which it is suspended, and counties in which it is in force disappears. All road districts and Road Boards are abolished, and are merged in the county. Town districts are divided into two classes. Those which are sufficiently important are transformed into boroughs. Those which are not transformed into boroughs are abolished, and merged in the county. The abolition of road districts will necessitate a considerable reduction in the size of many counties. This, however, is a matter for investigation by a commission, and as the Bili stands the counties remain as at present. The constitution of County Councils and their powers and functions remain substantially as at present, save that the division of courties into ridings is abolished.

In respect of the general rates levied by it each County Council is subsidised out of the Consolidated Fund. The rate of subsidy is based on a sliding scale, varying from 20s in the pound down to 2s (id in the pound. The scale is based on the principle that the poorer and undeveloped counties require a larger subsidy than the rich and well developed counties. The rate of subsidy therefore is made to depend upon the average capital value of the ratable property in the county for each square mile of territory included in the countv. Considering the manifold duties and responsibilities conferred on the Provincial Councillors it seems doubtful if the position of councillor will offer many attractions to capable men. Presumably the allowance of ,£3OO to the president is to enable him to devote most of his time to council work, but if the councillors are not to be mere nonentities the attention to council duties on their part is bound to involve a considerable sacrifice.