LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 20, 21 May 1912, Page 6

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

THE WELLINGTON CONFERENCE

(Per Press Associatm;... Wellington, May 21. The conference of delegates from local bodies to consider the Local Government Bill opened this morning, sixty-two delegates being present. The" Hon. G. W. Russell presided, and the Premier ami the Hons. Myers, Laureuson, MacDonald, Ell, and Buxton were also present. The Premier, in welcoming the delegates, said oho Government hoped to obtain constructive assistance from the conference. He hoped the matter would not be approached in a party sprit. The Government was setting i,p a commission to enquire into the educational system, and lie would not say anything in this connection until that commission’s report was available. He, hiijiself, was not in favour of education being placed in the hands of provincial councils . He concluded by saying that the Government would endeavour to put into law the decision of the conference. The Hon. G. \V. Russell delivered lengthv speeches. He said that for years there had been an outcry for reform, and there was room for simplification and economy. The hoards wore overlapping one another in numbers and staffs. Counties had increased by twenty in five years, and some of these were merely glorified road hoards. The essentials of sound local government were:—(!) Simplicity in form and method, (2) efficiency, (3) economy, (4) sound and assured finance, (5) capacity for promoting local development, (6) power of grouping continguous cl is hi Tecs for common purposes, including school committees. There were 3877 local bodies for a million people. Their revenue was £3.650,112, or, with loans and Government grants, £5,128,0)0. Their expenditure was £5,138,976. Heidicated the directions in which he thought the Bill should he amended , saying the Bill was not irrtende as the last word on local government, but as a basis for discussion of the whole question. Mr. dull, Hawke’s Bay, chairman of th». Counties’ Association, thanked the Minister for his address, and moved that in the opinion of the coniercn.ee some measure of local government reform was desirable. This was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks war: passed to Mr. Russell for the care he had given the Bill. . In reply ho said ho appreciated the huge task, and mentioned that Mr. Scddon had once taken ythe matter in hand, but had had to lay it down. The conference decide to allow each delegate five minutes. The Chairman suggested ; an executive of ten members. Then the conference split itself up into eight committees—viz.: (1) Local bodies, (2) abolition of road boards, (3) subsidies and grants, (4) provincial councils, (5) functions and powers of county councils, (6) relations of local bodies to Parliament and the Gavernment, (7) municipal, (S) rating powers. Each of these committees will report to the conference on Thursday, each committee to make general recommendations. The meeting then adjourned till 2 p.m.