LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1429, 2 May 1912, Page 5

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

AUCKLAND CRITICISMS. (By Telegraph-Press Association.) mi t i « Auckland, May 1. Ihe Local Government Bill, to bo considered by Parliament next session, camo m for foiho rather severe comment at the hands of tho Mayor (Mr. Parr) today. In tho course of his inaugural address, when taking office for another year, Mr. Parr remarked that the provisions of the Bill would materially affect the Auckland City Council, and the education, health, nnd well-being of the citizens. It introduced the principle of local rates for education, which, in his opinion, was a very objectionable feature." It would leave a city not only to pay the cost of its own maintenance, but also to bear part of the cost of works in the provincial district, with which, it had no concern. Again, it would seem that the city's powers to deal with infectious diseases, plague, etc., were to be taken away, and vested in the new body. This was n step requiring very careful consideration. While everyone admitted the necessity of a comprehensive scheme of local government, they had to bo careful <hat che new measure was not more retrogre-s----fiivo than progressive. In his opinion, tho scheme in its present shape was too revolutionary to bo of any real value.

AN EMPHATIC PROTEST. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Oeinaru, J fay 1. At a meeting of all the local bodies today, (ho following resolution, in rofer> ence (o the Local Government Bill, was unanimously carried -.— "That this meeting of members of nil the local governing bodies in the Comity cf Waitaki and its boroughs, strongly protests against the 'passing nf (ho local Government Bi'J for' tho following reasons:— (1) That it will aggravate and intensify the evil of centralisation; (2) that it will curtail tho right of people (o administer their own local affairs; (;)) that its proposals will in operation prove cumbersome, expensive, •unsatisfactory, and oppressive; (4) thnt while increasing the cost of local government it will not add to its efficiency: (5) that while diminishing the authority of tho people it will increase thor financial burdens by imposing fresh and unnecessary taxation; (6) that no measure embodying jo violent an alteration in administration of local affairs should bo passed into law until tho people have been afforded an opportunity of pronouncing upon it at the ballot-box."