LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 272, 14 May 1912, Page 6

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

\yiIAT THE HOSPITAL BOARD THINKS. "A MEDDLESOME AND CANTANKEROUS MEASURE." The Local Government Bill came in for severe condemnation at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. The discussion was provoked on receipt of a copy of the Bill, some of the main features of which were outlined by the chairman (Mr F. C. J. Bellringer). Mr. Bellringer prefaced his remarks with tibe statement that the Bill was a Troublesome and cantankerous sort oi a measure, and "if you were to study it from noiv to next Christinas you would not understand it."

A member: It is comething like Bradehaw's railway guide! Continuing, Mr Bellringer said that it was a very revolutionary measure It would abolish the Board altogether, and set up a Provincial Council, elected on a double-barrelled Iwisis.

. McAllum here interjected by questioning whether it would be possible to get two men to go to Wellington as representatives to the conference, seeing that they could not profess to know sufficient of the intricate workings' of the whole of the various local bodies. Continuing, the chairman said that only one Board—the Parihaka Road Board—had expressed itself in accord wibh_ the Bill, and thet was, lie was convinced, on accoun' of its members not understanding tl. I3ill, Touching on another point, the speaker said that if it had been intentional, it was a clever Bill; if unintentional, a great bungle. One hardly knew where the objects of the Bill were going to end. As far as hospital boards were concerned, it simply annihilated them altogether. "NOTHING SO REVOLUTIONARY."

Mr Maxwell said he realised it was such a serious matter that it was everybody's duty to stir up feeling. He was glad to see that a good many local bodies had passed resolutions asking for fuller representation. The reply of the Minister to their representations was that it was .impossible to have a fully representative conference without making it an unwieMly and Unworkable body. It was. however, said Mr Maxwell, possible to have better representation without going to that extent. The Bill was going to revolutionise the whole principle of voting and taxing in the country. Nothing so revolutionary had ever been proposed in New Zealand. Whilst it was not desirable that each local body should have a representative, .it was perfectly feasible that each class of local bodies should be represented. It was impossible to find two men who would ha vp an intimate knowledge of the i workings of the whole of the various I local bodies in the district. OTHER PHASES.

Dealing with the question of education, Mr. Maxwell said that in addition to the funds already available, the Provincial Council could expend general rates. The same thing would apply to harbor boards. Members would know what that meant. Whilst they were going to do away with the board they were going to set up committees which might be composed of persons (not elected) who were outside of the Provincial Council.

Mr. McAllum: We are going to provide all the money, but they will do all the managing.

Speaking again, Mr. Maxwell -said that the whole idea of the Bill was "a first cut in" to ultimately take away the whole of the cost of administration from the general taxpayer and put it on to ratepayers in local bodies.

"REFUSE TO SEND REPRESENTATIVES." In the opinion of Mr. J. Brown, the chairman of the Taranaki County Council, the best plan would have been for tli« local bodies to refuse to send representatives to the conference at Wellington until proper representation had been granted. They would thus have forced the Minister's hands. It was too late now, however, to carry out this line of action. He was firmly of the opinion that a workable measure would never be brought down unless the Bill was first discussed by separate conferences of county councils, borough councils, harbor boards, hospital boards, and education boards. Each conference could then elect its own representatives to meet in conference at Wellington. Then, and not- till then, would a proper basis of working be arrived at. To his mind there was little doubt that the Bill aimed at placing the general taxpayers' burden on to the shoulders of the ratepayers. MOTION CARRIED. After further discussion, the following resolution was adopted, on the motion of Mr. Cr .W. Browne:—"That while this Board recognises that it would be unreasonable to expect that each individual local body should have a representative at the proposed conference on the Local Government Bill, the Board considers that it is essential that each class of local body in each district should have a separate representative. The proposed alteration, would i taake the conference more representa- i five." | The chairman (Mr. Bellringer) wa: delegated to represent the Board at to day's,conference of local •bodies.