A SUGGESTION.

Patea Mail, 23 July 1881, Page 2

A SUGGESTION.

Suppose .Major Atkinson were to rise in the House and say This debate on Local Government has been useful in two ways.. It has shown general discontent with things as they are; and it has supplied that outside pressure which Was needed to bring Ministers to one mind. We now recognise that Local Government embraces nearly every other colonial problem. We propose therefore to treat Local Government as a constitutional question, by remodelling our proposals in such a way as to achieve more successfully the objects we had in view. We recognise that County Councils and Road Boards are doing the same kind of work, and are a double machinery causing needless expense and much jealousy. We recognise that Road Boards stand nearest to the work which has to be done, and that they have minute local knowledge. We propose to give them the care of all roads for maintenance. These Boards may also recommend new works, such as opening new lands and new roads, for approval by a larger district body. We propose to increase the power,; the duties, and the importance of County Councils, as the larger district body. They shall levy and distribute all road rates ; for we believe the tendency to form cliques in Road Boards will be much checked by preventing contentions .as to the amount of rate to be levied for a small district. We remove that contention from a narrow ground where limited interests prevail, by empowering County Councils to levy a general road rate j and we rely oh the broader sense of such a body to do justice between the-,claimants for one road-work as against another road-work. We know that when one section of a Road Board has got certain roads made or put in repair, it is apt to combine in starving some other road-work by laying too low a rate. We think the Council would be better able to judge of the requirement of each road district after receiving the Road Board’s recommendations and the skilled report of an engineer, and so deciding on all the facts. For these reasons we propose to make the Council the rating body, and the Road Board to be the executive machine for advising as to the road work and carrying it out. That seems to us to secure breadth of view and economy of management. Each Road Board shall return one member to the County Council, and an equal number of members shall be popularly elected by vote of ratepayers. Then we propose to give all land administration to County Councils. They can initiate new works and schemes of settlement, each district developing its own resources. We propose that 50 per cent, of land fund shall remain to County Councils, to be used in this way : 25 per cent, to bee available for opening new lands and promoting settlement, and 25 per cent, to be in relief of local rates.. We propose to make the cost of roads in new districts a first charge on land when sold, so that roads may be opened in advance of sale and settlement. But all this power of expenditure would be dangerous without adequate check. This we provide by requiring that all new works for opening landST shall be approved by the Minister of Lands. This will check excessive activity, check wasteful expenditure in advance of settlement, and check eccentric schemes. The colony will thus secure the co-operation of local knowledge with local activity, judiciously controlled by a central power of veto. One new power will be added to Councils: that is the power, of opening navigable rivers as highways to interior lands. Where the free use of such natural highway is hampered by native rights to ell-weirs, the Minister of Lands will exercise his veto in such manner as the case may require, in the interest of peace and equity to the native race. But it will be for the Government to keep in view that rights of this kind have limits, and that settlement may require the assessment and payment of fair value for extinguishing a barrier to colonial progress. On the lines of this amended scheme, we propose to introduce

certain Bills, which will amend existing Acts, and will transfer to County Councils all duties and powers which can best be exercised by Councils having local knowledge and a proper stimulous to thrifty administration. If the House accepts this scheme, we shall be saved the turmoil of a premature dissolution, and the legislative work of the Session can .be completed with public advantage. Suppose these proposals were made by a responsible Minister, would they be in the right direction ? '