The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1920. LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 145, 21 June 1926, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1920. LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For th-e trronp that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that tee can do.

It, is generally conceded that admirable work hae been done by the

Department of Statistics iv recent years, and the latest manifestation of its industry, the Local Authorities Hand-

book, is c?rtainly a remarkably useful

publication. This is the first occasion upon which the work has been attempted on so complete a scale, the annual report

on local government and the Municipal Handbook being combined and extended into a volume the size of tbe New Zealand Year Book. The statistics contained in the volume serve to show the extent of the functions exercieed by local bodies in the Dominion, and they also throw a bright light upon thp gjeat volume of their financial operations.

In the year 1924-5, for instance, the total receipts were £19,794.303, an increase of £12.000,000 in ten years. Of this £12,180,964 was received by way of revenue, and £7,f>13.399 was raised by loan, the total amount of rates, licenses, and other taxes received being f^5.013.132, as against £2.320.494 a decade ago. The figures per head in this connection are just two and one-lialf times ac great as they were in 1915. Of lr.st year's receipts Public Works expenditure absorbed £14.250.887, showing the very important part which local government is taking in the administration of the affairs of the Dominion.

The indebtedness of local bodies, as disclosed by the tables contained in the volume, is heavy enough to warrant serious consideration. On March 31 of last year tho total -was £45.720,794. exclusive of £6.029,965 loaned by the State, making the net indebtedness, after deducting accumulated sinking funds, £47.259,153. The annual interest and sinking fund charges amount to £3,331,103. In ten years the increase- has totalled £29,355,970, an advance per capita from £21 8/3 to £39 3/2, ani in the charges per head from £1 1/P to £2 8/3. The assets are nearly £10.000,000 in excess of the loan indebtedness. This margin is naturally far below tie safety line in business, especially as the tramway balance-sheete of the municipalities do not show these systems to be as valuable an asset as they were in the past. Of course, the rating powers remain as intangible assets, but there are limits to the amounts which can be imposed without depreciating the rest of the security. Assets and debts have increased in just about the same proportion in the last ten years, indicating that the boroughs, town districts, county councils, and harbour boards are spend-

ing money quite as fast as circumstances warrant. Of the total expenditure of £19.422.833 in 1924-5, management expenses claimed £543.44(i, the rate varying inversely with the magnitude of the operations. Thus boroughs, with their many activities, show the low average of 4.63 per cent, while in town districts the rate is as high as 2OJ2S per cent. These figures should bring home to ratepayers the importance of the work involved in Government and the necessity imposed upon ratepayers of keeping in close touch with their elected representatives and of choosing men of ability and probity to control local affair*. Such elections are frequentH allowed to go almost by default, a very small proportion of the total number on the roll taking the trouble to go to the poll. When matters of such magnitude as tramway systems, electrical supply and. concrete roading schemes are involved there is every need for vigilance on the part of the electors, instead of the present laissez faire attitude. Even when large loan proposals are put befor e ■the ratepayers only a β-mall minority can be whipped up to go to the great trouble oi expressing assent or dissent by a couple of pencil strokes, yet those who will not exert themselves even to this minor degree are generally the fim to complain of the policy and decisions of their elected representatives. It is to be hoped that the magnitude of the expenditure now involved win result in a better realisation of the duties of citizenship. The members of the local bodies generally would welcome it.

though it would mean retirement for some of them.