THE LOCAL CONTROLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1431, 4 May 1912, Page 5

THE LOCAL CONTROLS.

AND THE NEW BILLSOME ASPECTS THRASHED OUT. MR. MASSEY SPEAKS. ffly Telesrajh—Press AssneSatlsn.! Auckland. May 3. A lengthy and interesting discussion on the Local Government Bill took place this morning at a conference of delegates which has been dealing with the division of the Manukau County. Among those present wore Mr. V. Jf. Massey and Mr. i'. M. Lang, M.P. The chairman read a circular issued by tho Hospital Board, at tho suggestion of tho Minister for Internal Affairs, calling a conference of delegates of local bodies in the hospital district to elect seven delegates to represent tha distiict at a general conference to be held in Wellington to consider the Local Government Bill. Mr. Massey strongly opposed the limiting of tho Auckland district representatives to seven men. If the Wellington conference were to be of any value at all every local body should have a representative present. He denied that tho Hospital Board or Government had any power to limit Auckland's representatives to seven. Each local body had a right to be represented. He did not know whether Uio conference would be of much use as tho Bill had not been taken seriously by local bodies, but the expression of opinion of those who had expert knowledge of local government affairs would be most valuable if placed on record. To enabic this to be obtained, each county should ba represented, and in cases like Manukau, where the Act was not in operation, provision should be made for representation. Mr. Lang pointed out that the seven men chosen by the conference called by the Hospital Board might represent only one particular form of local government. There were .many different interests among local bodies, and all these should be represented at the Wellington conference. Mr. Lang contended that a fairer way of electing delegates would be on the basis of rateable area. He had no desire to throw cold water on- the Bill, but merely objected to the way in which local bodies were to bo represented at the conference. Mr. Massey said that the real difficulty with reeartl to local government was in connection with_ country local bodies. It was the conditions under which they worked that required improvement. A very important matter that needed attention was the dual .system of rating by counties and road boards. The counties of local districts should be sufficiently largo to enable them to employ a competent engineer to supervise tho proper carrying out of works, but they should not lie so largo as to bo unwieldy, He felt that if, at the conference, they were to have representatives from the boroughs and counties, they would have confusion, as their interests were so different.

Mr. Massey pointed out there were two important points about the Bill which delegates should consider. The first was with regard to the franchise. As far as he could see every elector over the age of twenty-one was entitled to one vote, and, if ho wore a ratepayer, he had another. This was a now departure, and an exceedingly important one for tho country districts. As far as finance was concerned, tho present Parliament grants were distributed on a most, unbusinesslike system, and the local body that had most influence and the loudest voice, wns very often the one thnt received the largest errant. Local bodies should be classified into two classes: Those in need of works, and tho?* which already had their roads and bridira. He had seen grants given to horourhs almost in cities, while locat bodies in the back-Mocks were being starved, and settlers cut off from civilisation for months at a 'imp. This question of finance was one point where some amendment: wns most nrgentjr needed, and it was iho dutr of the conference to see. as far as it could, that something was done. The subject bnd been dealt with by the British Parliament, which had a "development fund" intended for the construction nf rends, etc., in districts that had hitherto been neglected. This fund was administered bv a development board free from all nnliKcnl influence, nnd the moneys available woro spent in I lie districts that needed them most. Tho conference appointed four delegates, —two to represent Franklin, and two the Manukau portions of the county.