LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 202, 6 May 1912, Page 8

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

NOT WHAT IS WANTED. AIMING TOO HIGH. INTERESTING ADDRESS AT INGLEWOOD. At the annual meeting of ratepayers in the Moa road district, which was held in the Druids' Hall, Inglewood, on Saturday, there was an attendance of about one hundred ratepayers, instead of the usual two or three that usually deem it their duty to turn up on such an occasion. The interest in the meeting was induced by the fact that the chairman, Mr. H. Trimble, had arranged to give an address on the Local Government Bill, about which the majority at present have a very hazy idea, but which is exercising the minds of those who take ■ any interest in local affairs. After the formal business was concluded, Mr. ; Trimble stated that he was faced with i one difficulty at the outset in criticising ■ the Bill by the fact that it did not ap- [ pear to he complete. Whoever drew up • the Bill apparently only expected that it ; would not get any further than the scc- , ond reading, i.e., that the principle t would be affirmed, after which it would 1 be submitted to a commission, who ! would put it into shape before being 1 finally passed. He was led to this Irei lief by the fact that no fixed boundaries I had been set by the Bill. In fact, the > memorandum attached said that these ! would be fixed by a commission. The > Bill also stated that certain harbor i boards were to be abolished, but did not 3 state which. Certain town districts also were to be abolished and others were to be converted into boroughs. In iact, in certain directions it was not definitely known what was proposed. He proposed, : however, to give a general outline of what was proposed. The Bill proposed great alterations in the existing law, and it would be as well to consider whether the proposals were in accordance with their ideas of what local government should be. First, it was proposed to constitute a local government board in Wellington. This would consist of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, the Under-Secretary of Crown Lands, and the Under-Secretary of Public Works, and three others appointed; by the Minister. In connection with the raising of loans various matters would to be referred to this board, which, though a new departure for New Zealand, must, he thought, be founded on somewhat Bimila; principles to the local boards in England. Although no great power was placed in the hands of the board, as set out, no <k>ubt this would accrue in time. Personally, he thought such a board would have a hampering tendency in the same way as education board 6 were hampered by the Education Department through want of independence. It was proposed to establish twenty-four provinces, with a provincial council for each, consisting of from twelve . to twenty members. Harbor boards (with some exceptions), education boards, hospital and charitable aid board 6, and road board# would all be abolished, but all borough councils and county councils would still remain. The provincial council would, however, have jurisdiction over all main roads. Provincial councillors would be elected by the same people who elect our Parliament—(a voice: What rot) —the system at present in vogue in boroughs, and any elector would be eligible for a seat on the council. A ratepayer, however, had two rotes, one as a ratepayer and the other as a resident. If he was a ratepayer in one province and a resident in another lie would have one vote in each. As at present, on loan questions only rate- [ payers would vote. Members would be I elected for each borough or county on a valuation basis, and if one borough or county \vas_ not large enough to have a representative, it would be joined with another borough. Members would be paid their expenses attending meetings. The provincial council was given power to appoint committees to carry out the various duties. It could also levy general, special and separate rates as now. In fact, its rating power was increased, for whereas now a road board could levv up to l%d and a county council .also up to iy s d, a total of 3d, the Bill proposed that road districts should be abolished, but that county councils could levy up to 3d and the provincial council another 3d, or a total of 6d (laAighter)—over both counties and boroughs, who_ would have to collect these (rates, being allowed a commission. In raising a special rate the provincial council was given power to classify the land—that is, to decide what benefit the different portions of the rating area would derive from the loan—and the rate would vary accordingly. That is ! it would be differential. When raising a loan now it was difficult enough to decide what properties should be included in the rating area, and this provision would considerably enhance the difficulty. The revenue of the provincial council would be derived from the rates it collected and from a subsidy of 15s m the £ on rates collected given by the Government. The provincial council was, however, enabled to raise a special loan over the whole of the province with- i out talcing a poll of the ratepayers All that was needed was the consent of the Governor-in-Oouncil. This ] le thought, should he the local government board. For a loan over a portion of the province the same procedure is required as now. The arrangements re borrowing on overdraft are peculiar and he thought unworkable. At present a board could get an overdraft equal to one year's rates from the bankUnder the new Bill they could onlv get an overdraft equal to the amount of rates uncollected, and if, on March 31 the overdraft was larger than the rates' outstanding ,the Minister of Finance had power to deduct the difference from the Government subsidy. Hospital boards were to be abolished, and hospitals were to be managed by a committee ofthe council. to which three outsiders could he appointed. He was not familiar enough with hospital management to discuss this phase. A similar committee would also take the place of education boards, and considerable alterations in the existing law were foreshadowed. The memorandum with the Bill eaid that all

powers now conferred on education boards by the Act would be vested in the council, but, in contradiction to this, the Bill provided that inspectors should be appointed by the central administration in Wellington. A drastic alteration j is the section that provides the finance ' for education. The capitation scheme is struck out. The provinces will receive the rents from qny education reserves within their area, but the balance of the money for educational purposes within that province will have to come from the general fund of the council. He pointed out that all over the colony the education reserves only provided threesevenths of the revenue, which would leave four-sevenths to be made up out of rates. Very few provinces would bs able to pay for their whole education eystem out of education reserves, and Taranaki was one that would not. I* would be no use the school committees going to the Government for money. They would have to go to the provincial council, and the only way to get the money would he by increasing the rates. He would not deal with harbor boards, as it was not specified which were to be abolished. In addition to all this work the provincial council would have to look after the provincial roadfl. These were not clearly specified, but were presumably main roads, which were now county roads. The only clue given was that the local government board could declare any road to be a provincial road. The Govcrnor-in-Council could also order the provincial government to maintain any street in any borough. This would presumably be a main street, and was perhaps a set off to the council having power to levy rates over the borough. County councils were retained, but as the provincial council had jurisdiction over the main roads, they wer* reduced to the position of road boards with rather more powers. They would consist of from six to twelve members, who would he elected every two years, as would also provincial councillors and borough councillors. The three elections would he simultaneous throughout New Zealand. Any vacancy would be filled by an election in that particular area. In raising special rates the county council was given power to strike a differential rate similar to the provincial council. Now when the settlers of any district desire to raise a special loan I they can do so by declaring a special ratj ing area, but in the new Bill the consent "of the local government board has to be secured, which increases the difficulty and the delay. There was the same impossible proviso re overdraft. The payment of subsidy was also arranged on a differential basis. The value of the district was averaged and if its rateable value was under £SOO per square mile the subsidy was 20s in the £. This varied until the rateable value was £4OOO, when the subsidy was only 2s 6d. He did not know the value per mile of their district, so could not say how it would Work "out. In conclusion, he stated that theoretically it was an advantage to have large districts to administer, as it could be done cheaper, but, in practice, any system of local oi general government must be suited to the people who live under it. When the Counties Act was passed, thirty-five years ago, certain counties had been set up, but from year to year whilst road districts had been amalgamated, numerous smaller counties had been formed with community of interest. The same

had occurred in hospital boards,, as, for

instance, the separation of Hawera and Stratford from Taranaki. This all Jiroved that the people did, not want arge bodies. The provincial council as constituted would consist of Taranaki, Clifton, Stratford, Whanganromona, Egniont, Eltham, Hawera, and Waimate West counties. How could there be community of interest? In addition the payment of travelling expenses would be a very heavy item. The president of the provincial council would be paid not more than £3OO per year, and ii he did his duty he would earn it—(hear, hear)—as he had one twentyfourth of the Dominion to look after, whereas the members of Parliament only had one seventy-fourth for the same money. In the end he considered that provincial councils would not prove a. saving. It was too much to expect men to do the work voluntarily. Mr. Henwood asked if it was possible to fiiid men expert enough to do all that was required on the provincial council.

Mr. Chapman asked if the new system Was supposed to be a saving. Personally, he considered that the person who drew up the Bill must have underestimated their abilities if he thought they could not manage their own local affairs.

Mr. Trimble aaid there had been p lot of talk about too many local bodies, and it was thought better to amalgamate some. He thought there was reaJly ho need for road boards, but that counties should be of more manageable size—that is, should possess more community of interest.

J Mr. Morton, in thanking Mr. Trimble for his address, referred to the fact that Mr. Trimble always -endeavored to master any position he took up. Opinions, he said, differed as to the need of any change in the system of local government. They had been promised some improved system of local government for many years. He thought the opinion of the country was that there was no need' for such, a drastic change. The duties of a provincial councillor were so multifarious that he doubted if any one could be elected with a comprehensive grasp of what lay before him. The person who drafted the Bill was aiming at something too high—something impossible to bring into general practice. This Bill proposed to sweep away the whole system of local government. He moved a 1 resolution to the effect that this meeting of ratepayers is of opinion that no change of local the nature set out in the Local Government Bill is required. g| This was seconded by Mr. Chapman. Mr. Virgin suggested that a clause should be added that the Meeting was generally in favor of counties with community of interest. What had they m common, say, with Oka to and the coast?

| The chairman pointed out that they had that in their own hands now. Mr. H'opson also condemned the Bill, but favored community of interest. _ Mr. Todd protested against condemning a measure which they acknowledged they could not understand. Mr. Chapman said it was so complicated as to be a parcel Iff nonsense. I'he chairman thought it might be made workable, but it was not what was wanted in local .government. No form of government could be made to order, but required to he built up by an&ndmento. They should amend the prw?nt system, not sweep it away, _ Mr. Kennington considered the intention of the Bill \vns to further tax the land.

The motion was carried, and a vote of thanks to Mr. Trimble concluded the meeting.