CIVIC ADMINISTRATION

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12605, 16 November 1926, Page 7

CIVIC ADMINISTRATION

MELBOURNE AND OURS VISITING COUNCILLOR’S VIEWS APPROVES MILK SCHEME After visiting the farms, factories and the City Council’s milk depot and inquiring into the system of administration and distribution of municipal milk in Wellington, Councillor W. Cockbill, of the Melbourne City Council, yesterday expressed his admiration of the scheme, and left for Melbourne later in the day with every desire to se. a similar venture inaugurated in Melbourne. He told a “Times'* representative that his council had applied for powers to institute such a scheme. The original request for legislation had been referred back with a suggestion that it should apply to greater Melbourne and not merely to the city, and there the matter was at present, hut after what he had: seen of the Wellington operations ho was satisfied that it would be a good thing for Melbourne. Furthermore, Melbourne would be in the happy position of being able to profit by the mistakes made in Wel’iiiiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiDiiiiaiiiiiiiiiniiiitiiiiiniiiiiiiiitM,

lington in introducing a municipal milk supply in this part of the world. MULTIFARIOUS ISSUES The different election methods of the two cities were also interestingly discussed, and Councillor Cockbill was surprised at the number of issues plaoed before the electors in Wellington, these including the elections of Mayor, City Councillors, Harbour Board, Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard, and loan proposals, each requiring close scrutiny by the voter, and each paper requiring to be placed in its proper ballot box. Melbourne, said Councillor Cockbill, is divided into wards, each returning four members. The Aldermen—one to each ward—are elected by the council, and remain on the City Council until they are displaced. Councillors are only elected for one year, and the Lord Mayor for three yean, the latfe> being elected by the council and not by the ratepayers. The tramways are controlled by the Government, and the water, sewdrage and main drainage by the Metropolitan Board, which is a separate’ rating authority. Methods of procedure and the preparation of rates in Melbourne also differ from those in operation in Wellington, probably due to. the fact that Melbourne is a much larger city and requires different methods. Councillor Cockbill added that ’ he was returning with a lot of.-valuable information as a result of his visit to New Zealand.