The Press. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1895.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9272, 25 November 1895, Page 4

The Press. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1895.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

The subject of Local Government is so large and complicated that it is worthy of discussion even now when there 13 much time to elapse before it can again come before Parliament. We have ere this shown how very great savings £6uld .be effected in connection with racing arid the collection of rating revenue in Local Government admims : tration. It is now desirable to deal with the question of what are proper subjects to be brought within the jurisdiction of the Local Governments. In one important matter we in this colony entertain very difierent notions as to what comes within the sphere of Local Government from those usually entertained in England. In the Mother Country it is always considered that the preservation- of the peace should be the very first and most importani task of the local authorities— in other words that the police force should be established, maintained and controlled by the local bodies. Here, on the other hand, we are quite content to let the administration of the police force remain with the general Government. It is manifest that if the Imperial Government were to administer the English constabulary from London it would be undertaking practically the control of an army. Our own opinion is that in this colony the police are properly a department of the general Government at present, but that years hence—probably generations hence— they ought to be decentralised and administered by the local authorities; that is to say when population is as dense here as in England. So also in England the gaols and the care of the insane are to a great extent entrusted to the local authorities, subject to a considerable amount of inspection and supervision by the Imperial Government. But in New Zealand it would be hopeless for the local bodies to administer the gaol 3 arid asylums unless provided with the funds to do so by the general Government, and in that case the central Government which would have to provide the funds would not unreasonably expect to have the control. Prisons and asylums for the insane must, therefore, also for a long time to come, at all events, continue under the general Government. In England some matters are simplified by the great help given to the State by private munificence. For instance the hospitals in New Zealand are for all practical purposes entirely State institutions. *In England hospitals are mainly institutions supported by voluntary subscriptions or by the endowments of charitable testators. But in New Zealand, though the State has assumed full control of, and responsibility for, the insane we still cast upon the districts the charge of the sick and the poor—not perhaps a very logical distinction. A very large share of the control and administration of our educational system of which we are justly so proud is intrusted to local bodies though the general Government finds aU the funds. With some exceptions too the central authority leaves the harbours to local administration. What then are the other subjects with which local bodies may expect power to deal ? They are the construction and maintenance of roads and streets, of drainage works, of river works, of water-races, and— indeed of all public works except perhaps railways—the care of public health, the establishment and management of public libraries, buildings for public meetings, and many other matters cognate to some one or other of these subjects. Now all these matters which we

have mentioned as being suitable for treatment by the looal authorities m this colony are dealt with more or less satisfactorily under the existing system of Counties, Bead Boards and Borough Councils, save and except Educational and Hospital and Charitable Aid matters, which are administered by separate Boards, 'Chose who agree with us, as we believe that nine-tenths of the people of the colony do, that it is neither desirable or practicable to do away with the Road Boards and small boroughs—though, no doubt, there are portions of the colony which are satisfied with the County system without Eoad Boards—will agree, therefore, that the only hope for consolidation of functions in Local Government matters is to be found outside the County system. It is a proposition which cannot be denied that the charge of Education, Hospitals and Charitable Aid cannot with advantage be exercised over a smaller area than the present educational districts- Is it, then, possible to create a new body to be called, say, a District Council, which shall have a district as large as our educational district and shall exercise the combined functions of the present Education Boards and the Hospital Boards and the Charitable Aid Boards ? We very much question whether any very great saving of expense would result from the consolidation of these functions in one body, and we are strongly inclined to think that there would be diminished efficiency. Any man who does his duty as a member of the Board of Education or of the Hospital Board or Charitable Aid Board finds that it makes considerable inroads on his time. Of course there are some men of leisure who can afford the time and have sufficient love of public work to be in all three bodies. But the number of such men is limited, and it is not wise to make changes which would limit the choice of men available for these positions. Altogether, we do not think that the amalgamation of these bodies is a course which has much to recommend it. Another plan is that suggested by the Government Bill, viz., to knock the counties in such a district into one, and to give them the functions of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in addition to their present functions. The Government apparently hoped to do this and at the same time to abolish the Road Boards and small boroughs. In our opinion, the enlargement of the counties would only ba feasible with the retention of the Eoad Boards and small boroughs with some increase of functions. Even then we do not see that the advantages of such a course would be sufficient to ; outweigh the disadvantages. No j doubt there would be some saving of expense. There would be some saving in office accommodation and so forth, But it would be at the cost of efficiency. In a large county such as suggested Councillors would constantly be asked to come to a decision on matters relating to some portion of the county of which they are profoundly ignorant. This feature of the Government Bill is not regarded with favour anywhere in New Zealand as far as we can learn.