POLITICAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 212, 5 September 1895, Page 5

POLITICAL.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

The Local Government Bill, introduced in tbe House of Representatives, provides thab the colony shall bo divided into boroughs and countios, and every borough with a population under 8,000 becomes a district borough, and subject to central authority, while every borough with a population of 8,000 remains as at present, except in that it has extended powers given to it. •

Charitable Aid and Hospital Boards and Benevolent Trust Boards are to be swopb away, and power is given to a central authority to set up Committees for the manugomenb of charitable aid, and these shall derive fund* from, and be under the control of the central body.

Ib is provided that tho franchise will be enlarged so as to give a vote to all owners of property, tenants with three months' lease, and householders who havo lived in adiatrict and paid rent for twelve months at least.

In regard to finance, the Bill proposes that, in liou of the amounts now paid in subsidy on rates for charitable aid and dthor purposes, a sum of 4s 6d per head of population in counties and 4h per head in boroughs shall bo given by the Government, except in boroughs with a population under 4,000, in which tho subsidy will remain as at present. This will give the local body a much larger sum to Bpend than nb present. The population on March, 1895, will be the basis on which tho subsidy is paid, and will continue to be paid till nexb census. Tho amounb of subsidy payable ia oach of the largo centres can bo ascertained ab a glance. Auckland, with its huburbs, has now 43,900 inhabitants ; Wellington, 39,5G0 ; Christchurch, 41,921 ; and Dunedin, 48,952. Tho numbers multiplied in each cass by three will give in shillings the amounb each will derive.

Power is taken for the prevention of over-crowding in cities, and for inspection of dwelling - houses, which in future shall be reeiatorod to hold a certain number of occupants. Plans of all new dwellings are to bo submitted to the local authority, and ib shall be compulsory to have certain open space around each dwelling.

At the first initiation of the measure the Government will make all regulations, s_d then the whole administration of the Act will be taken over by local bodies, who, except in regard to Customs' and police will be invested with the same powers as the old Provincial Councils possessed. The Premier calculates thab the measure will etfept a very large saving in the management of the local affairs of the colony. A 1; present the cost for clerks and office management, excluding salaries, engineers, and overseers who are paid by the Government amounts to £107,000. In some instances 60 per cent, of the total rates is swallowed up in the cost of management. Taking everything into accounb, Mr Seddon estimates that a saving of £100,000 por annum will be made.

The Bill provides in tho schedule for the Government taking over the main arterial roads of the colony, and, with regard co the » expenditure of rates, ib is proposed thab, afber paymenb of general expenses, and the cost of necessary works which are for the benefit/ of each district as a whole, the money collected shall be spent in each riding, or ward where the tax has been levied.

Power is given to local bodies to set apart land for public recreation grounds, and to establish agricultural and technical schools. They may also acquire lands for occupabion by workmen, and have full powers of adminisbration over the same. Boroughs may adopt a scheme for fire insurance, subjecb to tho consent of the ratepayers, and power is given to re-insure