MORE MONEY FOR ROADING

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27993, 13 June 1956, Page 7

MORE MONEY FOR ROADING

BENEFITS OF MERGING COUNTIES CHAIRMAN’S REPORT (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 12. More money has been available for reading in areas where there has been amalgamation of certain counties, Mr w. A. Lee, president of the Counties’ Association, says in his annual report which will be presented to the conference tomorrow morning. “There are small units of local government, other than counties, which are no more efficient in administra♦L° n than some of the small counties that have been amalgamated,” he says. “There appears to be no logical reason to adopt a different policy in regard to these other units from that used in relation to our smaller counties.”

Mr Lee says that in the last 12 months there has been “considerable movement in the policy of amalgamating some of our smaller counties. The association has for a number of years followed the policy of supportins amalgamation of some of the smaller units of county government where it will result in a system of better local government.”

The yardstick, he adds, must always be whether better local body administration will be achieved.

“I consider our policy is the right one for improving local government generally. I am sure that with other forms of territorial local bodies following the same principle, better local government administration throughout the country must follow.”