LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 272, 21 April 1914, Page 6

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

UPKEEP C'K THJJ -u.UN UUAIJS. Aa a meeting of the executive of tlie TaranaKi limners' Union nt .11. iwera oil Tmir-i;,'.;. , Mr. .Maxwell , sain that tlic whole sy.sLem of locai goverumenl needed to b. changed, rather tluin an increase oi grant* or sulw'.uH* be ;iven. Some counties which had railways running iurough them did not need abstain «• much as those where there was no V'iiv.ay communication and where better j.,ccs- was required for settlers. The whole system needed t<> be altered and -.oniethiiig definite oil a proper basis arranged. Local bodies should be given a.— -iaiuv in accordance with their actual requirements. Mr. Maxwell went oil to say that at onetime the executive appointed a committee to go into the question of road-mak-ing, and as far as he could remember its report was, to the effect that the Government should construct ail new main roads out of the consolidated revenee and hand them over to the local bodies to maintain. The curse of the grant system was that roads were made peateineal, and not always in the localities where they were most required. Mr, Marfell suggested that Mr. Dunn might adopt the following remit instead of the one previously drawn up: That owing to the great change in the means of transit brought about by the use of motor traction, there be strongly urged upon the Government the necessity of increasing the subsidy to local authorities for the maintenance of main roads, such increase of subsidy to be granted in proportion to the expenditure 011 such roads.

Mr. Maxwell moved, that the Premier be written to, pointing out that the executive understood that the Government proposed to bring dowu a Local Government Bill, and asking if he -would supply the Executive with a draft copy of the Bill as early as possible. He generally condemned the last Local Government Bill, criticising it as a most dangerous measure atogether. He went ou to suggest that air the local bodies, together with the Farmers' Union, in each provincial district should meet in conference to discuss the Bill, dealing with the question of local government. Each distviet would then be able'to ascertain and settle its lowl requirements. Then a general conference of delegates from each of the provincial districts could he held to further consider the Bill. This was agreed to.