INQUIRY TO BE MADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 206, 13 June 1931, Page 6

INQUIRY TO BE MADE.

LOCAL BODIES’ TAXATION.

STATEMENT BY MR FORBES. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, June 12. Local body government is a question to which the Prime Minister hopes tc give close attention at an early date. When lie made his economy statement in February, Mr Forbes stated that the Government proposed io set up a Commission to go fully inti the incidence of local bodies’ taxation. With the many other pressing urgent calls on his time of late, however, the Prime Minister lias found little opportunity to deal with the matter, but in answer to a question he indicated that the Government was anxious to make tlie inquiry as scon as possible. What form the inquiry will take Mr 1 •’orbes is not yet able to

Discussing the question of local body taxation this evening, Mr Forbes said the Government hoped to miE an inquiry at the earliest opportunity. **l •m not certain yet what lorm the inquiry will take,” said ihe Prime Minister. “The Department dealing with local bodies will naturally take some part in it. Amalgamation Juvs been advocated where local authorities are operating over the same district. "No doubt the reduction of overhead expenses will benefit the ratepayers, an cl it seems that that could be about by amalgamation. Taking loc ftl bodies as a whole, they are operating very satisfactorily, but these are times when costs in every direction have got to he investigated to see what cutting-down can be made to relieve the taxpayer.”