AMALGAMATION OF LOCAL BODIES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21972, 22 December 1936, Page 5

AMALGAMATION OF LOCAL BODIES

SCHEME NOT FAVOURED ASHBURTON POWER BOARD'S VIEW "That this board considers that the amalgamation of any local bodies in Ashburton would not be in the interest of the district," was the text of a resolution passed at the meeting of the Ashburton Power Board yesterday, when the proposed Local Government (Amalgamation Schemes) Bill was received from the Department of Internal Affairs. The chairman (Mr E. F. Nicoll) said it was stated that the purpose of the bill was to provide a simple means of bringing about a substantial reduciion in the number of local authorities so as to create bigger and more satisfactory local government units. "The idea of creating bigger units has not much to commend it unless the amalgamation affords better service to the community, and introduces more economical methods of operation," said Mr Nicoll. "Though in certain circumstances amalgamations are undoubtedly called for and if carried out will achieve the objects named, my own opinion is that in a district such as ours the absorption of the Power Board by the County Council would be of no more advantage than would the swallowing up of the county council by the Power Board, and that is obviously out of the realm of practical politics. I cannot see that in either case, there would be any possibility of worthwhile reductions in overhead costs, and if any effort were made in this direction, it could only be at the expense of efficiency and service to the public." The absorption of road boards and like bodies by the county council had. in most cases, everything to commend it, but the position as between the council and the power board was on an entirely different basis. Both those bodies had important and vastly different duties to perform, and were carrying out their tasks in a businesslike and efficient way. Members agreed with the remarks of the chairman and the motion was carried unanimously.