PUBLIC BODIES.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17401, 11 March 1922, Page 9

PUBLIC BODIES.

(special to "the press.")

INVERCARGILL, MarchJLO. ®

Responding to the toast of "Public Bodies" at the annual meeting 4 and dinner of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr W. Hinchey, who, besides being chairman of the Southland Power Board has had considerable experience in local government, had something to say of a critical nature. Mr Hinchey began by predicting that the system of local government was going to change greatly within the nest few years. People sometimes talked of the management of public bodies as local politics, but that was wrong, for there should be no politics in a public body, tljo duty of which was to manage its own affairs in a business way. It was in a different position from Parliament, which was a parent institution, existing to select the best for the country as a whole. Local bodies should be composed of men of business acumen and foresight. At that stage he could say something that would be very unpopular, and he was not going to say' it. If they past their memories back 20 years he thought that they would conclude that there had been-a great change in the management of local affairs during that time. Tfie Government evidently recognised this to be the case, and it had passed legislation governing the finance of local bodies. That showed that the Government did not consider the present methods and channels of expenditure to be always quite sound, a belief that was strengthened by the close watch- now being' kept'on them by the Audit Office, jnd he thought the policy had been justified; for no matter where they evidences of waste and extravagance on the part of local bodies came under notice. Had they been all business men who had been associated with local government there -would not have been as much of this in evidence. The time had come when they must see to it that they got that class of man, or else the Government would secure an even stronger grip on local affairs. The remedy lay in getting more experts connected with the bodies, men who would be inspired by the many mistakes made in the past, not to repeat thein.'-