LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 170, 20 July 1910, Page 8

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

CHANGE Ef THE SYSTEM.*! EDUCATION CONTROL. \ Tα BE VESTED IN LOCAL (By Telegraph.—parliamentary-"&-„.

WELLINGTON, Wednesday Important references to this ijL. government system were made fa premier in his Budget speech toid. He ssj.d the necessity for a carenulyTT sidered system of local fi. long been apparent. The multiplied local authorities in the Domj£i on ,£ the absence of uniformity i. their ri ministration, the overlapping of dnf" and general waste of money and eS consequent thereon were well knomi and required remedying. Pull opporS ity will be given Parliament to discs* the contemplated reforms, with a •rie* to .placing the whole matter on a sound and extended 'basis. It must he ' remem tbered that the present condition of thW had been so long in existence that raSc&r reforms must be cautiously proceeded with. There were altogether more than five hundred county councils, borom-V councils, town boards, road 'boards, river boards, -water supply, and drainiw, boards in New Zealand. Of ICB boards the revenues were less than £{jq per year, and the proportionof expense to revenue of these varies from 17 to 26 per cent., as against less, thaa ten per cent, for counties and 5 per. cent, for •boroughs. A Local Government Bill,'consolidating and amending existing ;W" would be introduced this year. - ';

It was recognised that the areasof many local authorities in this fountry must be redefined. In ■ certain casss these areas must be reduced; in otia; cases they must be substantially hj. creased. This proposal necessarily jj. volved the extinction of a number of existing local bodies, ibut the principle of extinction would foe carried -no further than 'was plainly necessary to secure tie ■best results. The 'bill would also provide for the transfer to the new eottncils d all the work and functions of our exist, ing education boards, care being takej that this important branch of the eoimtry's work is to be carried out fry divisional committee, and undei Ibetta conditions than exist at present. ;Ui(fe< the extended jurisdiction of local anttoi ties, the Government .proposed to transfer the work of building and maintenance of schools, providing the whole of-ile money for the former and contrilmnoia for the latter. Instead of the snalnto ance votes now annually passed iyParlia., ment, he proposed to provide a sum «t the "beginning of the system of £250,000 per annum. This would '.require to be done upon a proper 'basis. Those local authorities who rated themselves totie extent of id. in the £ and over, wouH necessarily Teceive more consideration than those who rated under that inwnnt Th-e intention was to create larger bodies, and give them greater ipowen than they possess at present. .-.-

The restoration of votes - for school committees and libraries would give as much pleasure to those concerned as to the Government. He also hoped: to make additional provision on the Supplementary Estimates for the maintenance-and rebuilding of schools. The. amount; on the main Estimates was about the same as was voted last year,, but it mij be found necessary fb provide still fniftel funds for this important:matter, -f