GREATER AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 114, 13 May 1912, Page 6

GREATER AUCKLAND.

(A3SHWLOCSL GOVH&NMENT EEPOEM. "A Greater Auckland and Local Gov- i emment Kefoxm," vms the subject discosaed -by Mr Walter Thomas Mills at the Tcwn Hall last night. He said that tins city woe lirst built as a place of defence only. It was afterwards made a place of residence and. of industry. ; Past history showed that all that was | "best in human life gathered to these great cities. Naturally enough, all that was .basest gathered there also. All the literature <rf the ancient world bore testimony to the corruption of the ancient cities. The problem of city government involved tire whole problem of modern government, because if the city were well governed it could take ita proper share in the government of the nation. If it "were badly governed, it not only failed itself, but made the units, out of which the country is built, utterly incapable of effective work. Mr Mills gave an extended account of the new movement in America under which what is called Commission Government has been undertaken. Each great department of municipal activity elected a chief. This chief directly administered that department—giving his exclusive attention to the city's work in has own department, and having no other occupation during the term of bis office. Ail these chiefs so elected together constituted the Town Council. The initiative and Referendum j together with the recall were always in apposition under this system. In this j ■way experts only were in authority. The legislative and executive bodies -were identical. The men who determined what was to ibe done ■were the same me.n who must proceed to do the things agTeed upon. If the Council neglected 10 do what the people wished, a petition could call a date to instruct the Council, and so have its will obeyed without disturbing the organisation of the. city's work. If the Council undertook what the public did not approve a. petition could call an election and have the action of the Council reversed, and this again with out disturbing the regular work of the city departments. If a public official proved unworthy, a petition in the same way could call an election and remove j the unsatisfactory officer and elect his successor, and this can be done without waiting for the end of his term or in any wav interfering with the other officers in the city's employ. The result had been that party rule had ceased. All questions were dealt with on their merits, and the vicious and criminal vote had entirely lost its power in politics. The speaker showed that this had been tried in more than 'iOO American cities, and in every instance with the most desirable results. i ■He said that the work of the United Labour Party in New Zealand would lead to the same system, both for the city and the nation.