THE BACKBLOCKS.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20279, 23 August 1937, Page 6

THE BACKBLOCKS.

Some ratepayers in the Whangamomona County recently petitioned the Government to take over the area and allow the Public Works Department to control it. In reply the Minister of Internal Affairs said that he looked upon local government “as a serious business; it is not just a hobby that the people should play with." Mr Parry added that the proposal amounted to this—that good country, where rates were easily collected, should be controlled by local bodies, “but when it comes to back country, which is crying out for development and which presents real problems, then the Government is expected to take over the responsibilities.” The petitioners now know exactly the attitude of the Minister of Internal Affairs, even if they do not know how the county is to carry on. What is the position? The Whangamomona County has net liabilities amounting to £29,600, and assets estimated at £12,330. Of the £4945 expended in 1926 nearly £2OOO went in interest and sinking fund. The county has practically no cement or bitumen roads, and no ferro-eonerete bridges, and it controls an area that is particularly billy. Apparently the ratepayers who signed the petition had concluded that the task of roading the area was beyond the capacity of the council, even with a measure of State assistance. And it was not altogether unreasonable to turn to the Government. If the country is crying out for development, as the Minister states, then that clearly is the duty of the Government. If Mr Parry was in Parliament when the State took over the full responsibility for the large loans floated by the Westport Harbour Board, about £700,000, and assumed control of that port, no strong protest on his part can be recalled. Did ho regard it as shuffling responsibility on to the shoulders of the Government when in 1026, an Act was passed providing that “all moneys borrowod by the Greymouth Harbour Board shall be deemed to have been borrowed by tl(e Government?” There is a very big area not under local authority near Taupo. Does the Minister hold that some local body should accept responsibility for its development? In any case the local bodies will have noted the declaration of the Minister that under Ills amalgamation plans, it is intended that the new bodies “shall carry their fair share of the back country along with the good country.” That aspect had not been exactly stressed when he discussed amalgamation with the local body members.