COUNTIES CONFER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 270, 28 August 1935, Page 6

COUNTIES CONFER

ADDRESS BY A MINISTER.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day

After .31 years’ service, Mr A. E. Jull, M.P. (president of the New Zealand Counties’ Association), in an address at the annual conference today, expressed his desire to retire, but a motion was carried asking if it was possible that from time to time additional dirties and responsibility might be asked of county councils and that the functions now carried out by other bodies might be entrusted to counties. If such additional duties were asked of them in the general interest of the Dominion they must not shirk them. Mr Jull said that eternal vigilance was the price of freedom and equal vigilance was necessary to maintain the powers and responsibilities already enjoyed and to increase them as conditions demanded. The conference was opened by Sir Alfred Ransom, in the absence of Sir Alexander Young. Sir Alfred referred to a danger of developing in New Zealand public services in a manner om of proportion to the population, aiu said' he believed the time was not fardistant when New Zealand would have to take steps to increase its population. Countries able to consume what they produced were better able to meet the depression than New Zealand, which had to depend on exports. He believed the secondary industries went liand-in-hand' with primary industries. On y pne county council and one municipality had got into anything like serious difficulty during the depression. Assistance had been granted by the State and it was gratifying to know that both these bodies were emerging from their difficulties. In regard to unemployment assistance, the Minister mentioned that there were cases where local bodies had taken advantage of it to the disadvantage of employees. He hoped that extra work would be undertaken and that at the same time the money usually spent in regard to the employment of labour would continue to be spent.