LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Patea Mail, 17 February 1882, Page 3

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Mr Q. M. Park recent!}' read an essay on Local Government in the Masterton Debating Society, and thus referred to the clashing interests of County Councils and Road Boards. ROAD BOARDS AND COUNTY COUNCILS. The subsidies payable to local bodies under the Financial Arrangements Act, 1866, will legally cease this year, but as a matter of fact the Act has already been repudiated by the Government and Parliament. The portion of the land revenue and consolidated fund that is to come to our local bodies is the question to be faced by the new Parliament, and with it the whole constitution of our local bodies will be reviewed and amended. It is evident from the tenor of the Counties Act that the Legislature anticipated that the county system would supersede the road boards, which were constituted under Provincial Ordinances, but this anticipation has not been realised, and the consequence is, that in many counties we have two local bodies, each to a certain extent independent of, and sometimes opposing the other, and each performing nearly the same functions with two distinct staffs of officials, while it is quite evident that one of these bodies should be capable of doing what is now divided between the two. The people, however, did not complain, while a plentiful supply of money was obtainable from the Colonial chest, thereby obviating the necessity of counties taxing property over which the road boards already levied rates, but immediately the Government subsidies were withdrawn and the probability of a dual rate stared them in the face, they became alive to the fact that a less cumbersome and costly and a more efficient system of local government was imperatively required. Parliament must face this question next session, but underlaying it is the still more important one of ways and means. It has been pointed out that the

UTILITY OF THE COUNTY SYSTEM has been greatly impaired through the non-completion of main trunk lines of railway, and while many new inland villages have sprung up on all sides, requiring roads and bridges, the rates and subsidies which should be appropriated to that purpose, are swallowed up in keeping main roads in repair. It has been an axiom among our legislators since the foundation of the colony that the proceeds of Government land sales should be spent in CONSTRUCTING ROADS through the property sold, but we need not look far from Masterton to convince ourselves how shamefully those outlying villages have been broken faith with, and it is impossible to imagine how any Government professing a policy of settling the:people on the land could be guilty of such cold-blooded neglect. Without good roads settlement cannot proceed ; they should therefore be the first consideration instead of the last, by any Government professing a progressive policy. PROVINCIALISM has much to answer for in this respect Had these branch roads been formed when the land was sold, the task of road boards now would have been comparatively easy, now they have only their rates. Even the subsidy derivable from the general Government on those rates has first to filter throng the county council, which decides what portion of the subsidy is to be allowed to each road board. This appears to be a very objectionable proceeding, inasmuch as ratepayers would contribute with much better grace if they felt assured of receiving a subsidy from the general Government to be spent in their own district proportionate to the rates which they contribute. As it is they are disheartened at having to contribute toward the maintenance of a local body which they do not always find to be an unmixed blessing. REFORM PROPOSALS. In order to meet present requirements let general road districts be formed similar

in BissQ to counties. Let road boards be constituted over the whole colony, and with powers over their respective district similar to those they now possess, and instead of County Councils let an executive committee be formed, to consist of one or more members from each road board within the general road district, to constitute a general road board, and to meet but once annually to make bye-laws, &c.-; apportion subsidies, arrange for maintenance of charitable institutions, and decide upon works to be carried on during (be ensuing year by the respective road boards. This would make the general board, which replaces County Councils, subservient to the road boards instead of the latter being subservient to the general board or County Council as at present. The general board would simply be the executive committee of the several road boards within the general district, dealing with matters which could not be dealt with by each road board separately. A body so constituted would be much stronger, it would be a more direct and decided reflex of public opinion, and its influence would be incomparably great with Parliament and the local government than that of the present County Councils. It would abolish the present objectionable system of dual rating. The expense of administration would be reduced to a minimum, the real working power of our local government system would have a direct voice in the apportionment of what are now county funds, and the possibility of a neutralizing and harmful effect, caused by two bodies possessing similar functions would be avoided, and would neutralize the centralizing tendency of any Government Roads Construction Board.