COST OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 12, 12 August 1916, Page 4

COST OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Recently the cost of local government was discussed along the familiar line of the alleged excessive number of iocal bodies. The Municipal Handbook is not concerned with that factor, but it does indicate the cost of management of boroughs, town .districts, and Harbour Boards, hi the case of boroughs the total cost lor New Zealand in 1915 was £172,458, which averages 5s lL)d per head of population in these communities. On the figures above, without due regard for varying conditions and circumstance's, it would not he fair to base opinions as to the quality of administration. However, to indicate the scope of tlie Handbook’s statistics here are some details of total expenditure for the year 1914-15, with the cost of management in parentheses: Auckland City (population 65,005), £494,011 (£16,586, equal to 8.36 per cent, of the total expenditure); Wellington City (population 67,446), £525,567 (£16,495, equal to 3.14 per cent.); Christchurch City (population 58,169), £216,962 (£14,284, equal to 6.58 per cent); Dunedin City (population 49,446), £322,716 (£22,124, equal to 6.86 per cent.). The total expenditure for Wellington is the highest hy reason of the greatest range of municipal services. It is- interesting to read, in conjunction with the statistics of the cities, the figures of total expenditure and cost of management for the adjacent suburban boroughs, thus: Auckland group—.Newmarket, £12,3.95 (£542) : Mt. Eden, £42,309 (£1,419); Mount Albert, £24,342 (£1,052); Birkenhead, £7,625 (£734); Northcote, £4,650 (£587); Devonport, £18,242 (£1,654); Takapuna, £9,023 (.£1,056). Wellington group—Onslow, £4,000 (£<s6) ; Karon, £14,336 (£991); Miramar, £19,587 (£1,407); Eastbourne, £IO,BBO (£380). Christchurch group—Woolston, £4,835 (£362); New Brighton, £4,645 (£617); Sumner, £10,096 (£944); Spreydon, £7,027 (£572.); Riccarton, £5,111 (£511). Dunedin group—Most Harbour, £2,107 (£266); St. Kilda, £!<,- 972 (£770); Green Island, £2,591 (£264); Mornington, £14,510 (£l,016); Maori Hill, £2,751 (£340). Here is a range of other boroughs taken at random: (Hamilton, total expenditure £48,086 (management £1,690); Cambridge, £12,016 (£1,215) ; Te Kuiti, £17,092 (£666); Napier, £72,778 (£B,151); Hastings, £52*000 (£3,202); New Plymouth, £66,060 (£1,847); Wanganui, £160,210 (£3,309); Invercargill, £109,963 (£2,367); Brunner, £394 (£243); Kumara, £I,OOB (£207); Runanga £1,149 (£243); Mataura, £3,216 (£382).