The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1912. LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 26 February 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1912. LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM.

■Eoii'so'metliin'g iikdtwlAity years'local goveninhent * refoi'm 1 has 1 been a| stock subject l ’ofteil very dreary and ineauingldss blit'‘promising, dociujitiiit—t‘he liv ' J ’Speecli. Sir jjoglpii Wiitd’s 'LodKl' fehvernnient 'ihtrddiftlecP Mt' the ' ! opening of Parliament, makes it appear as though the Government had really intended to ■■nvakei an -effort .to do something this session in the way of the long-pro-mised reform, but under all the circumstances it is most unlikely that

the present session will do very much yM'-ith i it. «iu(Phe •■Bill'-' now< before the y'‘House* dmfnridhhty! f bti t-' huh'cWd" Lid •< otwenjyo j&feuses/* Vdfitl- fbr ! ff ',docal I 1 ji.lished, ,consistirtgi ’of : 1 the 1 °Minist6'f of Internal Affairs,* ; t£K ‘fltiW ‘permh'Heht' . headJ iOf'departinfenty,' aifd three' btlibr persons! hp {Winted by' the 1 OWerrior.' The-' functSo’ii • of ‘the boWd' will’ be 4b' Wei'-' else certain‘powers'of supervision, 'coh-' trpl, and administratibn in Watters of 1 local ■government.' The whole of New Zealand is to be" divided into areas' of local government, with provinces, twenty-four in number. 1 Each province consists of groups of counties, and comprises all boroughs included within the boundaries of those counties. The boundaries of the provinces are set out provisionally by way of suggestion or illustration, but it is presumed that their actual boundaries will be finally determined by Parliament, after taking into consideration tho report of a commission appointed to enquire into the matter. Every province is to be governed by a provincial council consisting of elected representatives of the various counties and boroughs comprised in the province. Representation is in proportion to the value of the rateable property in each of these constituent districts of the province. Counties and boroughs which are too small for separate representation will bo grouped, together into combined districts and return representatives in common. The provincial representatives of each borough are to be elected by the electors of the borough at the same time as the general election of the borough council. Provincial representatives of each county are elected by tho electors of the county at the same time as the general election of the county council. County elections and borough elections will take place on the same day every second year. On that day, therefore, if the measure became law, throughout the whole of the Dominion an election would take place in every county and borough of county councillors, borough councillors, and provincial councillors. A provincial council is defined as a rating authority having power to impose general rates upon tho whole province or separate rates upon any portion of tho province which, with tho consent of the local government board, is constituted a separate rating area. ; Provincial rates arc imposed within each borough and county comprised in ( the province on the same system of rating as is in force in that borough i or county and on the valuation roll of the borough or county, and are col- : looted on behalf of the provincial connoil by tho borough councils and county i councils in the same manner as if they were borough or county rates. A subsidy at the rate of 15s in the pound 1 is to be payable from the Consolidat- , ed Fund to each province on the amount of its general rates. A nro- 1

vincial council is given power to raise special loans for public works, and to impose special rates accordingly. The division of powers between provincial councils on the one hand and borough councils and county councils on the other is based on the principle that all powers which can be adequately exercised within the limits of a .single borough or a- single county arc vested in the borough and county council, while the powers which for their effective exercise require to bo extended beyond the limits of a single county or borough are entrusted to the provincial council. The chief functions of the provincial councils relate to; (a) hospitals; (b) charitable aid; (c) public health; (d) education; (e) harbours; (f) main roads and bridges; (g) rivers; (h) drainage water-supply. As a consequence, all hospital and charitable aid boards, education boards, certain harbour boards all drainage and water-supply boards, and all road districts and road boards would be abolished, under- the Bill, and their powers, property and liabilities transferred to the provincial councils. Existing counties are continued, their powers and functions remaining substantially as at present. The general rates levied 'by them it is proposed to subsidise out of the consolidated fund, the rate being based on a sliding scale varying from 20s to 2s 6d in the £. The subsidy is made to depend upon the average capital value of the rateable property in the county. The scheme, of which the above is an outline, is certainly a bold one. It possesses many good points and it is to bo regretted that the measure was not brought down a year or so sooner. An outstandingly good feature of the Bill is the proposal to greatly reduce the number of self-governing units, a proposal which is generally accepted in principle throughout the country. In a speech made by Sir Joseph Ward at Winton some time ago, he specially referred to this matter and told his audience that there are 546 county councils, borough councils, town boards, and road, river, water supply, and drainage boards in the country, and that no loss than 16S of these bodies have revenues of less than £SOO a year. “The cost of management of these 168 in proportion to their revenue runs,” said the Premier, “from 17.58 per cent, to 26.72 per cent., as against 9.4 per cent, for counties and 4.28 for boroughs. The problem to be solved is how;,to effectively bring about the reduction of this large number of, public bodies, and to give theift) sufficiently wide; powers, ,tq meet ! the requirements of the people'.’they' serve.” The ‘above (figures. ,are. gertajnly .telling indictments against the present costly and ctlmbrblis. .System, l -and however , the go, f tlie Go--yerument Bill ought tpj.hq,proceeded, . with.- ’m.-nij)) .yi-iO d-- ii: f_iui ! V.-8 joi tiii —fa-Tfmgrifesg.K-if ,;j