AMALGAMATION OF LOCAL BODIES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 257, 28 July 1939, Page 10

AMALGAMATION OF LOCAL BODIES

Bill Not Dead, Minister Says COUNTY DELEGATES AT LUNCHEON An intimation that the Local Bodies Amalgamation Bill bad not been relegated to the limbo of forgotten things was given by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, when proposing the toast of “Tiie New Zealand Counties’ Association” at a luncheon given by the president, Mr. C. J. Talbot, to representatives attending the biennial conference of that body yesterday. Mr. Parry said be could assure the public that, so far as he was concerned, the Bill was not dead. Whatever was done, however, would be done will) honour. Everything would be fair and open and all the cards would be laid on the table. Freedom and Justice. Proposing the toast of “Parliament,” Mr. J. Ritchie, South Island vice-pre-sident of the association, said that he knew from what had happened in other parts of the world that, but tor the British Parliamentary system, it would not be safe for him, a hard-bound old Tory, to sit alongside the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Lee Martin. (Laughter. ) They had heard a lot concerning waste of money on various works, he continued, bin as fur as they in the South Island were concerned the work being done by the Main Highways Board was of great national importance and no local body could have undertaken it. Responding, Mr. Martin said that all through the years New Zealand had tried to live up to the wonderful traditions of the British Parliament, and to a'very large degree be thought it had done that. Referring to statements that New Zealand production was going back, the Minister said: “I believe the land todav is the greatest asset we have, and no one has a greater future before him titan the man who is producing.” In response to the toast given by Mr. Parry, Mr. ’Talbot said all would appreciate that the Counties’ Association was strictly a non-political body. The toast to the New Zealand County Councils’ Industrial Union of Employers was proposed by Mr. W. Morrison, North Island vice-president of Ute association, and responded to by Mr. W. Marshall, president of the union.