AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 10

AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT

ONE COUNCIL IDEA. MAYOR OF MT. EDEN OPPOSES. ADVANTAGES OF LOCAL CONTROL. The case against one governing body for the whole of the Auckland area is put by Mr. E. H. Potter, Mayor of Mount Eden. " It is not strange," says Mr. Potter, " that the problems of Auckland government should be attracting much attention. The area to be dealt with is entirely different from that which used to be considered Auckland. The growth of population has carried it beyond the old boundaries, and in addition we have the startling novelty of motor transport, which is not only a serious problem itself, but also brings other problems in its train. It has enabled people to live in the country and work in the town, and advantage is taken of this to an everincreasing extent. In the Middle Ages the population lived in walled cities. To-day they are spread over the surface of the earth. This dispersion has entirely altered the nature of local government. In the walled city days, it was possible for one council to deal with the problems of making life possible for aggregates of humanity. To-day it is not possible—partly because the area to T>*! swvered is so much greater, and still morn because mankind demands something very different from the old requirement, The Middle Ages did without drainage- or water supply. Electric light was nnkno-wa to them; even wheeled trasffi® was uncommon, for roads were impass&We half the year; and hospitals were in the ftrture. All these services are now expected to be rendered by the community, working through the local representatives. Difference in Areas. " Some people still cling to the ideas of the past, and would bring all these services under the control of one elected body, but a little consideration should show them that this is impossible, for several reasons. The area to be dealt with is not the same. Transport is necessarily widely spread. Our highway district stretches from Helcnsville to Mercer, and many districts included therein have their own traffic problems. The water district is also wide, but it is not the same area as that included in the highway. The hospital district differs again, and the electric power board has gtill other boundaries. It would not be possible to elect a board which should he representative of these different districts, and each question is entitled to its due share of attention, which it could not hope to obtain from one local body overburdened with business. " The claim has been made that local bodice should treat some of these services as revenue-producing to the extent that they should provide a profit in relief of rates. This is obviously unfair, as it calls on those who use these services to pay more than they are worth, in order to relieve the pockets of those who control the semce. Each one should stand m its own merits. The cost of liviu* it ? Toh } em > taxation SS&F*** affects Twy unfairly, r*

for it makes some pay much more than others. The only justification for the community going into trade is that it works without a profit, and gives the people the benefit. We need not here enlarge on the fact that sometimes there is neither profit nor benefit. What is required is that a board elected bv the district which it serves should be constituted to deal with those problems' which affect the wide areas, while th« existing local bodies should deal with the local questions. There is an obvious advantage in getting men to deal with the questions which affect the area in which they live, and, in addition, it is as well that as many men as possible should be interested in public matters. It is not possible to do this with the wider questions, and there we must rely on representatives elected over the whole area. No Saving in Amalgamation. " Some people protest against the idea of a transport board and a water board as an unnecessary duplicating of local bodies. They are, however, content with a harbour board and a drainage board, a hospital board and an electric power board, and have reason to be thankful for the existence of the last-named, for without it they would not have had electric light to-day. If these boards have worked well, we may hope that other boards will do the same. The contention respecting the saving to be effected by amalgamating all services under one council is a mere red herring drawn across the Bcent. The same staffs are required and employed, and often become unwieldy. Moreover, any business man will point out that firms never come to grief because of excessive office expenses, but often fail on account of inadequate control and inspection. We cannot hope that the business can be carried on satisfactorily by one enormous council, with no satisfactory basis of representation, and subject to the temptation to run the services for profit, and not with a single eye to the work to be done. A local body of any size has work enough and to spare to occupy all its energies. If all this business is concentrated under one board, it will not receive attention. In addition, when the questions of tronsport and water supply for areas stretching far bevond its boundaries are added, the result cannot be other than confusion and dissatisfaction.