VALUE OF LOCAL BODIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1920, Page 5

VALUE OF LOCAL BODIES.

MINISTER OF LAND'S TRIBUTE. WORK NOT FULLY REALISED. (By Telegraph.—Special Reporter). Inglewood, last Night. In responding to the toast of the Government ai to-night's banquet to celebrate the formation of the new Inglewood County the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lauds, said that it was the policy of the Government to encourage the increase in size of counties rather than decrease them, but iu certain circumstances this policy was" 'departed from, and it had been departed from in the formation of the Inglewood County, because it was an important factor for the progress of the district. When the province* were abolished in 1870 it was said that better management would result by dividing them into smaller counties, and history had since shown them that this had proved to bo the case. The record of local government in New Zealand had been one to be proud of. (Applause,) Public spirited men had come forward in large numbers to do the work voluntarily, and had given their time and gone to considerable personal expense in helping forward the districts they represented! It was wel) for New Zealand that they liad done so. "It is a fact that amongst the community at large," remarked the Minister, "the work done bv the people's representatives on local bodies is not anpreniated as it should be. I have served my time amongst the county councils, and I can look back -with a great deal of thankfulness to that time, because T learned a great deal I could not possibly have learned otherwise. There I have learned a great deal of the wants of the country districts, which has been of considerable -value to me." The Minister congratulated the district on the establishment of the new county and expressed the opinion that it now had its opportunity to advance owing to iho community of interest involved. Taranaki was noted all over Now Zealand for its good roads, and although the roads in the Inglewood County were not the Best, the people would now bo able to get good roads like the rest of Taranaki.