LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10640, 22 May 1912, Page 5

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

OPENINU OF THE CONFERENCE OPENING OF CONFERENCE.AN L\TiER.ESTiaW J>lB r JV3SLOST I i(By Tekgraph-Fress A sr-ei&tum.) j WELLINGTON. Last Night. I Theconfaerrtof-delefiate, fnm, local todies, to consider tl o U cal •jGoverirment Bill, <>pn.ed tins moVning, -sixty-two oolepatcs being i«&>ei Hon G. W. 'Kusscll. .Minister of .Internal Affairs presided, mid the Premier, Bans. A. ftf. Myers G Laureneon W, iD. S. ■Maaloiia.'d, H. G. 1.11 \ind TWos. Buxton were also pres"ent - . • i • i i i The Pii"em:'er, jii Avelcomrug the delegates, said ■the, Government hoprd to tfbtain' constir'uotive assistn'.nee from tthe conference. He hoped the mattei ,v(yiffl <ncit b'? approached in a party spirit. The Government wa« setting up a cornmissioit iA> linquire into the educational system, and lie would -not «*iy Anything" ,iu this connection until Itbe cc'rinu'ssioni's [report was availiahle. He 'himself was not- in favour : of education being placed in the hands j of Provincial Councils.' H'o concluded !bv saying that the Governmcn t wviuld endeavour to put into bw the decision of the eflJference. The Hon. G. W. Russell delivered si lengthy speech. He fnid for years there had been an outcry for reform, and there was ironm far simplification . ■Aiud economy. The Boards wow --ver-' (lapping oai.e another in numbers and tataffeu Counties. .a'd icrda •: cl by 21 En five yetvrr.,"aud some of the::e were .(merely glorified read, boards.. The csIsentkls of sound ,V)eal srovcri-nu.ent iw.?rd:— {1) Simplicity of founi and imethcd ; (2) efftiency: (3) ccciuAny; 1(4) sound and assured finance; (5) .capacity lor promotrng local development; (6) power of grouping, contiguous districts ifor comnx'n' purposes. Indliidcng school Coir mit tees, there -were' 38-77 lc'eal bodies for a million people. The revenue (lol.lected was £3,651,112. or, with loans and govern,mi<nt grants, £'3,428,070, and the exipendobnire was £5.138.976. Fib indicated it'hfe' ctirection .in which he thought the ..Bill -Should be amended, 03iying the Bill was nvit intended as lt!he last word ofn Jcral' government, but as .the 'basis of discussion of the avlidlc question. 'Mr. Jufil, of Hawke's Bay, cliaininut of tike Counties' Association, thanked Ithe Minister for his address, and ImoA'ed:— "In'the opinion of this conference t'arne measure c'f local gov•erniment reform is desirable." The' motion AA-as carried unanimously • A vote of thanks Avas passed to the iH'on. Mr Russell for the care he had Igiven the (Bill. L r l.i reply, the Ministi-r said he appreciated the huge tc.sk, and mentioned that the late Mr Seddou 'had once taken the matter in ' and, but had to Jay it down.

Mir (Robert Lee ■(Wellington'* siiid 'there 1 wats a good deal in the ißill that ideserved consideration. 'I hero was certainly much food for reflection in that jpait dealing with education.-''He iw'as satisfied .that a. good deal of moniey could bo saved by merging many of the smaller Board-;. Mr 0. J. Parr (Auckland) said there ■was no demand for. sr.'-h a. Bli'l. So (far as the large cities were concerned, they objected to being incorporated in U'o large Provinces. They objected to h provincial fnate. wlliidh may ,be expanded forty or fifty miles away. The ioardinul matter to salve- wars over- • Bapping. / ivn' vi. Gci.jand (Aackfundy said assured finance had been mentioned by fche Minister, but there was no provision' for lit ''ii the B:'". jie erizgesied that the ?and an':l*'inicran.? tax should ibe set aped!:- by the .Government for itha.t puroose. -. Mr A.'E. Jull (Han-ke's Bay) said it'lie principle they were seeking was ■ulenti-caT'\uXi!i that the G'ov.'nties 'Aisiceiaticn had been ceek'i.ig for <Vears. They had' haukl that what •tthey wanted the .abr.Titio'n of dual Control. They had .the axiom that dual wmtre!. should cearo, Tihe question of •inranehcm bad .'.d 'be i:accd, Tlie cities Jihad practically 01 ,lV.:.*lia.mci;tcary franlehis?! while iii the coriilvy the posi■ih'on 'esfetfug enabled one section to tihe elections to ' Harbour .lE'jards and other.bodies.. He suggested a residential and property -fran'ehise, th.? cities to work under a simiilar femdiise.

i -Mr J. (Eivil-?y (Wdka'tn) said that if lfclne Govt lament sought to abolish local' ibodlies the loral bodies would abolish •the .Government.

i M.r E. Lifhibn (Wa'aganui) ( thought ithe Biilli was too rcvol.utifv.ia.ry. : Mr A. Moore (Kairpoi) objected to ttJie Ball, a,s it t;n:l?d to- take the pow:er oust of it-he hr.ads- of those elected lby the people, aiid ip'.nee it in the iHimdi?' of .the Minister. He opposed itlhe iplacin.g .of education under Pro- i ivincial'Councils or other bodies which.| iltove to the ad.-mkiistration of •Iroads' and bridges. M; - Moore held •that the ccot of administration would I>e oncraised, and it would be lees satisfactory. i The Ho-n. G. W. Rusrafl, at this 'juncture, eaid that Mir Moore had •said ,that tlhe desire underlying the •Biiß -was to abolish .«e present system •of educaticn;. "J ask you," eaid Mr (Rufisellf "whether, in ' vivw of" the statement made by the Premier this •'morning, that- is a ilvir observation' to •put on record, and have 'cirrculated •throughout the -country? (Members: -(No!) As far as !the Bilil is concerned, il im%hi point out that it did not emanate from -the present Government. ilt has been placed before you .as a •ikiiais of discussion, I do not think it (right for iamy delegate to put the matter before you in the way Mr Moore •has done." •■ iMr J. G. WMson thought there was mot very much wrong with the present •local government laws. They ccrtain■*ly might 'merge smaller bodies with '.advantage, -n ibis opinion the time 'had not arrived for the establishment cif Piroviincjial Councils.

1 IMlr Schofield (Auckland) snlid, with (regard to Qeisstming the dost of local' (goveniimterit, (that he thought the Min'ister could .not reduce the cost of hos"'tPjitrtls below the present figure. ' Mr J>. McLaren (Wellington) (thought the powers delegated .to local ip.l:>vernm'ent boards I'jxder' the Bill ■(would he too .great. ; i Mr P. W. Venn (Wellington) offered the suggestion that aspirants for (Parliamentary 'honours should serve years on' a City, ißorcugh, or County IGouiaciil beifore ' st'a n ding; I Mi'M. D-akielil ('North Canterbury) Ithought primary education' should be la. first dftarge eta- .the revenue of the (country. ' Mr J. Na*.h (Palmcrston North) nvondered' whether the 'Government was .afracd ,to grapple with the subJiaot. .Provincial C'ouncite were quite unnecessary. Things m-ere going on very well) preeeil t