CO-ORDINATION NEEDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1012, 1 July 1930, Page 13

CO-ORDINATION NEEDED

“TOO MANY LOCAL BODIES” As far as local government is concerned, Auckland is well supplied. It has 21 governing bodies, possessing 297 members, all of whom are elected every two years. This was stated by Mr. T. Bloodworth during the course of a lecture at the University College last evening, when he discussed schemes for the co-ordination of local government. Mr. Bloodworth spoke in place of Mr. W. J. Holdswortli, who had to leave on Sunday evening for Wellington. Professor H. Belshaw presided. A multiplicity of control, such as existed in Auckland, led to confusion, delay, and to a certain extent wasteful expenditure, Mr, Bloodworth contended. • The remedies which were proposed were Greater Auckland by amalgamation, commission control, or a metropolitan board to control public utilities and communal interests which were common to the whole area. The objections to the first system were that local interests were lost sight of. Control by commission destroyed the elective principle which was the basis of good government. A metropolitan board, the scheme of which was modelled somewhat on the lines of the London County Council, would be elected from wards corresponding to the present Parliamentary electorates. It would leave intact tho present local bodies, which would continue to minister their own concerns, but the board would become the rating authority, the individual bodies making assessments in accordance with their requirements. It would thus have the right of supervision, which was tho essential part of the scheme. Following the address, a discussion took place on the various points raised.