DIRECT CONTRIBUTION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 149, 30 July 1914, Page 8

DIRECT CONTRIBUTION.

LOCAL BODY SUBSIDIES. [From our own Parliamentary 'Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 29. A deputation representing the Gouaties' Conference "waited on the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. H. D. Bell) to-day to bring under notice of the Government several recommendations made at the recent gathering of county representatives. The president (:Mr A. E. Jull) headed the deputation. Mr Jull said that the executive .of the Counties' Association had met the previous day, and wished to bring what it i had done under the notice of the Government. They regretted that the new Bill relating to local bodies' subsidies and grants had not yet been before them, and they asked that as soon as copies were ready they should have it for consideration. The principle involved in Government assistance to local bodies should I follow, they thought, the course of a ! direct contribution from the Consolidated Fund for the upkeep of the roads. Hon. Mr Bell: Without regard to the needs of one county more than another! Mr Jull said that if a county needed to spend less on its roads than another it could strike a lower rate. Hon. Mr Bell: And receive a lower subsidy. Mr Jull said that it was a fair .proposal that the whole of the people who were receiving benefit from the maintenance of the roads should pay something in a general way. Mr Bell: There is no difference between you and me there. Mr Jull said that there was a consensus of opinion-that the present system of grants was bad, and they thought that some sort of classification could be agreed upon in a new system of grants. Counties which were most necessitous could form one class, and other classes could be formed according to the needs of the counties. LEVEL CROSSINGS. Another matter which Mr Jull mentioned was the Counties' Association's opinion that the Railway Department should bear the liability of dangerous level crossings. They thought that the Department should do at least what was required of private railway companies in other countries. "The association believed that the continual subdivision of counties was not in the best interests of the country. The tendency, they thought, should be rather in the direction of amalgamation of local bodies, and this could be largely induced by a better system of grants. Another matter was that they should have the county council elections in May. THE MINISTER'S REPLY. In reply, Mr Bell said that with regard to subsidies, the country was concerned as much as the locality in th® work of the locality. They must take it that as long as he was in charge their view of the matter would not be his. With regard to the Local Grants and Subsidies Bill, he suggested that tho association should appoint a small committee to confer with him on the measure. He agreed with the views of amalgamation of counties and local bodies, and, only recently he had put has foot down on one subdivision. He could not yet see eye to eye with the association in the abolition of mad boards, as there were so many difficulties in the way. He would give careful consideration to all the other matters which had been brought under his notice.