THE HUTT VALLEY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 85, 10 April 1935, Page 9

THE HUTT VALLEY

LOCAL BODY MERGEE

AMALGAMATION ASPECTS

ACCOUNTANT'S ADDRESS

Under the auspices of the Hutt Valley branch of 'the New Zealand Pioneers, Mr. G. J. J. Feil, F.1.A.N.Z., F.P.A.N.Z., F.C.A.A., delivered an interesting address at Lower Hutt last evening on some aspects of local body amalgamation in relation to the possible merging of the Lower Hutt and Petone boroughs. Mr. A. R. Griniwood occupied the chair.

Mr. Feil declared himself on broad ■ grounds in favour of amalgamation. In | considering the question, he said, it was necessary to take a broad outlook and to subordinate the economic aspect ;to the sociological. Amalgamation was 'of course not a cure-all and would not take the place of sound administration. There was a crying need for reduction of local bodies and of the excessive cost of local government. It did not necessarily follow that amalgamation would reduce costs. As a matter of fact, it was found that as the size of the unit increased costs frequently increased. This, of course, was due to increased wants of the people; what was good enough for the village was not good enough for the town, and what the town would put up with the city would not tolerate. All that amalgamation would save would be the overhead. For instance, one town clerk would serve instead of two and Iso on. The saying would take place I in the elimination of the overlapping !of functions, and again, larger units iwere able to provide more and greater (amenities. For instance, if the quesjtionof electric trams was being conisidered it:I.was probable that neither j borough iwould be able to provide a I service/ oni its own, but as a larger 'uriitjit*would. limtt'for effectiveness. The "speaker then dealt with the ' dangers of public extravagance, which : was difficult to curb, and also warned ' against public covetousriess, instancing . the action of the Railway Department Jiri'taking a monopoly of the road ser- ? vices in the Hutt Valley. The limit to 'the effective size of a unit was (1) the ability of the administration^ to adequately cover the area; and. (2) the community of interest of the people. No. 1 depended on (a) the efficiency of its organisation and (b) the conditions in regard to transport and communication. In regard to (b), conditions had entirely altered since, say," 1850, 'when an official would have taken several days to cover the Hutt Valley, whereas now he could do it in half an hour. The telephone had also altered the position. Under the improved means of communication and transport 75 or 80 per cent, of the counties could well amalgamate. The question of community of interest was largely solved by increased means of communication. One of the great barriers to amalgamation was perverted local patriotism, and other hindrances were the fear of present members of local bodies losing their positions, the fear of employees of being put,out of work, the fear of Jocal business interests losing trade, the fear, of the general ratepayer, of increased rates, forgetting the benefit of more .services, and the general feeling of a loss of self-importance when a particular district ceased ' to exist. These, were the things to overcome, and efforts should be made to direct attention to a wider patriotism and to the pride of belonging to a larger district., POINJS DISCUSSED. , A general discussion followed. • / The Mayors of Lower Hutt, Mn j. W. Andrews,; .stressed the fact that a larger district, could have a better plant and a more expert staff in the various-branches of engineering., ' Councillors': E. N. Campbell arid G. London; of ',Petone, pointed out that Petone was! fully developed and selfcontained and had not such a heavy debt as Lower Hutt, and that at the present time 'it would be most difficult to get Petone to favour amalgamation. It was pointed out by Mr. Andrews and Mr. Feil .that the fact that Lower Hutt had a bank overdraft was not necessarily an indication that Lower Hutt was in a worse financial position than Petone. "Of ten the soundest and most flourishing business was the one with an overdraft. It all depended on the assets. ■ . •' - It was pointed out by another speaker that the true measure was the rates paid for'equal services and that in this respect rates were lower in . Lower Hutt .than in Petone. Mr. Feil was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.