The Press SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1937. The Riding System in Counties

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22243, 6 November 1937, Page 16

The Press SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1937. The Riding System in Counties

It is a pity that sweeping condemnations of the movement for the abolition of separate riding accounts in counties heard in the House of Representatives on Thursday were allowed to pass unchallenged, particularly as they contained many inaccuracies. The discussion gave the entirely wrong impression that the movement was first instituted by the present Government. Actually, the power to abolish separate riding accounts was conferred on county councils by the Counties Amendment Act of 1931; and since that time 52 councils out of a total of 125 have availed themselves of legislation. Moreover, all except one or two of these councils have acted entirely on their own initiative and are thoroughly well satisfied with the results of the change. Mr Hargest’s remark that the riding system has “ stood the “ test of time ” is thus contrary" to fact; the system is disappearing rapidly because its defects are very generally realised. The Waikohu County Council’s petition to Parliament, which precipitated the discussion, is the first instance of any authority desiring to revert to riding accounts after having abolished them; and it can only be said that its circumstances must be exceptional. The riding system originated in the developmental stage of New Zealand’s history, and was a not inequitable method of making each small local community pay for its own reading system. But with the development of motor transport it rapidly ceased to be equitable. Roads paid for and maintained by the ratepayers of a riding were freely used by traffic which paid no share of this cost. But apart entirely from the question of the equitable distribution of the financial burden of reading, the maintenance of separate riding accounts has for many years had a bad effect on county finances and on the standard of county road work. In the first place, it has made the effective planning of county road systems practically impossible, since in many instances, the riding functions almost as a separate local authority. In the second place, it has increased the difficulty of financing road works out of current revenue and consequently given an undesirable impetus to borrowing. A recent return prepared by the Transport Department shows that the loan charge on every mile of country roads averages out at £32 compared with a maintenance charge of only £2l a mile. Moreover, it has to be remembered that borrowing by ridings has been in small amounts and therefore at comparatively high rates of interest. Finally, separate riding accounts enormously increase the burden of clerical work and the cost of rate collection.