Pocket Boroughs

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 298, 8 March 1928, Page 10

Pocket Boroughs

POPULATIONS OF 300 APIECE Auckland’s Administrative Armies IX Auckland and its outlying town districts, going as far south as Papakura, local government is in the hands of a small army of councillors and aldermen, 260 in number. The scale on which local body government is conducted in New Zealand is indicated by the roll of active local bodies. There are 676 of them, including 123 counties, 119 boroughs, one tramway board, one gas-lighting board, and 41 harbour boards.

A UCKLAND, proclaimed a borough in July, 1851, has a claim to be regarded as the oldest municipality in the country.

At that time Wellington was still a town board. The present capital was declared a borough, with great enthusiasm, in 1841, but could sustain that dignified pre-eminence for only 16 months, after which period is receded to the comparatively insignificant status of a town board, not be-

coming a borough again until 1870. In spite of recent amalgamations, and the predominant place held by greater Auckland among the cities of the Dominion, the population within the area administered by the Auckland City Council is still slightly less than that of Wellington city. It is in the size of its suburban boroughs that Auckland outstrips all rivals. Along the North Shore alone is a greater population than that of any New Zealand. town outside the four centres. Similarly, Mount Eden and Mount Albert, progressive suburbs administered by their own councils, are almost as large as Wanganui, Invercargill and Palmerston North, which are the leading country towns of the Dominion. The massive proportions of the local body roll leave room for the suspicion

that perhaps this form of government may be carried over-far. Few would have dreamed, until confronted by statistics, that there were 41 harbour boards in New Zealand. tV here are the harbours that they administer? They are dotted round the coast, in between the major ports, and in several Instances enormous sums have been expended for little tangible return.

Electric-power boards may still be classed as Innovations: their establishment was not authorised until 1918, hut already there are nearly 50 in existence.

The more obscure local bodies include Domain Boards, many drainage boards, local railway hoards, and even rabbit boards, of which there are now 46, sufficient indication of the respect paid to the rabbit pest. The solitary Tramway Board is in Christchurch, and though the establishment of a similar organisation in Auckland has often been advocated, it is interesting to note that the Christchurch Tramway Board is not immune from the criticism of both public and Press. There is also one Gas-lighting Board, whereof the functions are to control the lighting supply for the twin boroughs of Hutt and Petone, and among the other quaint institutions is a county with a population of only 22. This territory, Fiord County, of Otago, boasts only one occupied holding, but the property is 18,000 acres in extent. THE SMALLEST BOROUGHS - The two smallest boroughs, Tapanui and Arrowtown, are both in the far South, but not far from Auckland is the second smallest county, Great Barrier, with a population of 366, and two employees whose combined pay runs to only £258 a year. The bill for local body administration is heavy, and its cost has gone up by 50 per cent, in the last ten years. Excluding hospital hoards and education boards, the local bodies of the Dominion employ just over 3,000 administrative and clerical workers, and pay them £BOO,OOO a year in wages. The 37 Auckland local bodies, great and small, keep 535 clerical workers employed, and pay them £116,042 a year In salaries. Darge though these figures are, they do not include those of the Hospital Board, Education Board, or Waitemata Power Board. The first two of these three are not listed in the Local Bodies’ Hand-book, and the third, the Waitemata Power Board, could not supply such apparently matter-of-course information without first consulting the chairman. Such are the ways of local bodies!