REFORM NEEDED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 594, 27 July 1933, Page 5

REFORM NEEDED

MINISTER SUGGESTS REVERSION TO THE LARGER ' COUNTY DISCUSSION BY CONFERENCE Wellington, Wednesday. Reversion to the larger and strong- . er county, as originally contemplated when the Local Government Reformers of 1876 set about their task, war, put forward as a possible basis of local government reform by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon.* J. A. Young, when addressing the 'Countiec.' Association Conference to-day. He said there were 125 operative counties with a large number of subsidiary boards, making a total of nearly 700 local bodies for a country, the population of which was 1,500,- - ,000. This seemed somewhat excessive and one was not surprised that there was an incessant demand ' for local governmentTeform. He traced-brief-ly the history of the increase in , counties and conncils and subsidiary boards and went on to say that the county councils thCmselves had risen to the oecasion and had been invqs- ■ tigating the beneficial results of pos- • cible amalgamations among themselves and absorption o'f subsidiary authorities. • There was no question that the basis of reform lay in the direetion of reverting to the larger and stronger county originally contemplated, and he f elt confident that delegates would adopt the broad outlook of endeacouring to secure for the county council the high position it should occupy in the sphere of local government, and not merely to concentrate on the pai ticular aspirations of special localities they were representing for the time being. Reference to the amalgamation of local bodies, was also made by the president, Mr. A. E. Jull, in his adclress. He dealt comprehensively with 4he present position. He pointed out that whereas there were 320 road boards 50 years ago, there wei-e now only 18. Taking the rural local bodies, but including town districts subject to county jurisdiction there were 125 counties, 19 road boards, 27 dependent town boards, 58 drainage boards, 43 river boards, 49 -rabbit boards, a total of 320 rural bodies which was precisely the number of road boards alone that were in opera- • tion in 1883. The counting of rabbit boards as local bodies was useful to thos.e wishing to build up a big total, but as they only operated for one purpos.e and the total administrative costs of 49 boards was only £3000 per annum, they were quite negligible. As far as the rural bodies were concerned, their total debt in 1931 was £8,884,863, and the total annual charge, £620,024, while- capital value of counties was £343,017,269, so that the rural indebtedness -\Yas only about 21 per cent. of the capital value. Surely that was a very trifling rural debt.

Mr. Jull said he had kept out oi the figures bodies which were urban as well as rural, such as harbour, hospital and power boards. He was pleased to say that as a result of circulars sent out to county councillors there appeared to be a readiness to eonsider an amalgamation scheme, but it appeared there was a desire to have some outside commission set up to make the appropriate represeritations. He would invite the conference to set up a committee to eonsider the proposal for amalgamation of local bodies. After a decision which showed there was general agreement that amalgamation must come in connecition with local bodies, it was resolv- , ed to set up a committee to report on : the amalgamation of counties. Mr. Young afterwards expressed pleasure., saying the report of the committee would be very useful.