AMALGAMATION OF COUNTIES

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25933, 13 October 1949, Page 6

AMALGAMATION OF COUNTIES

WISDOM QUESTIONED BY MR GILLESPIE (From Out Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON. October 12. Toask the counties to go along to the sittmgs of the Local Government u m ”2 lsslon to 3tate a case vhv thev should not be amalgamated is j oin’g beyond the functions of the commission.” said Mr W. H. Gillespie (Opposition. Hurunui) speaking on the Counties Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives this evening Mr Gillespie said ae doubted | whether the idea that bigger counties would mean more efficiency and better service was correctly based. He praised the work done by the xford county, although it was one of the smallest in the country. Mr Gillespie said Hanmer Springs i township used to be ‘‘nobody’s babv” i when it came to getting Government' grants, although no rates were pay- I able on two-thirds of its prooerties. and most of the burden had to be borne by country districts. Recentlv there had been an improvement in j grants from Government departments' with interests in Hanmer Springs, rot- I ably the Department of Health.