THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1913. THE COUNTIES BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 25 August 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1913. THE COUNTIES BILL.

The Counties Conference in Wellington last week was one »f the most important gatherings of its kind that have been held in the Dominion. The delfKates, for the most part, have been identified with local government for years, and have a close acquaintance with the disabilities under which County affairs are administered. The decisions arrived at will be of great assistance to the Government at the present juncture, when local government reform is under review. In spite of the bitter criticisms of the Opposition, which has for. years trifled with the question, the Government has shown its determination , to bring about a change in the administration of local affairs, and with this object in view has framed and circulated a Counties Bill. This may be regarded as a first instalment of the proposals for placing local government on a more satisfactory footing. The Counties Conference considered the Bill, and expressed approval of moat of its provisions. It may reasonably be expected, therefore, that legislation will be passed this session to give effect to the wishes of the Conference. The most important consideration in the matter of County Council administration is that of finance. In this connection, it is thought that either the subsidy of the Government should be increased, or the responsibility for maintaining the main arterial roads should be thrown upon the Public Works Department. The latter course would probably be the more satisfactory of the two, particularly in view of the fact that motor traffifo is placing isuoh a severe test upon the main thoroughfares. It is generally recognised that the time has arrived when motor-carg should pay a tax towards the ukpeep of the roads. The difficulty, however, is in devising a means for equitably imposing such a tax. The Minister of Internal Affairs has intimated that the Government proposes bringing down a measure dealing with this subject. If provision could be made for the Government collecting the motor-tax and maintaining the arterial road®, the local authorities would be relieved of a very considerable responsibility. The proposal to amalgamate a number of the Counties is oho that will also

appeal to the bountry. Nobody can deny that at%he present time the cost of administering the system, of local government is unreasonably high. The taxpayers are contributing altogether too large sum for administration. • The hospital! and charitable aid tax, too, is becoming a heavy burden. It is time that a halt were calleck|and a measure taken of the whole subject. It might not be unreasonable to expect that County Councils, besides attending to roads, should administer the hospital and charitable aid fund. The Counties, aj we pointed out in a redent article, are at present contributing too large a' quota of the hospital and charitable aid tax, and they have a right to exercise some control oyer the expenditure. When the Counties Bill comes before the House, the question of the franchise will have to be seriously discussed in all its bearings. The so-called "Liberal" Government was satisfied to have one franchise for the borougha and another for the Counties. This is obviously unfair. If the system of universal franchise is good for the boroughs—and we do not believe it to be—it should be equally good for the Counties. It is absurd, for instance, that every man a?id woman over the age of twenty-one who resides in a. borough ~ should be "able to vote for members of harbour boards and hospital boards, while only those who are ratepayers have "a vote in the counties. This is an anomaly in connection with the existing system that must be removed, arid it can only be removed by placing the municipal and county franchise oh the" same footing. As we have already said, the Legislature will have to face this question when the Counties Act is. under review, and upon the manner of its settlement will depend largely the success or otherwise, of the ad-, ministration of local ■ government in the Dominion.