MUNICIPAL TRADING

Evening Star, Issue 17706, 6 July 1921, Page 3

MUNICIPAL TRADING

SPECIAL LEGISLATION NECESSARY HON. W. D. STEWART’S STATEMENT A COMMISSION POSSIBLE. The following letter from the Minister i of Internal Affairs with reference to the question of providing separate legislation for cities carrying on trading concerns was ‘ received by the Christchurch City Conned at its last meeting:— I have to state for your information ■ that my attention has recently been drawn to the following communication from the city solicitor, Wellington, to the major of that city, which was considered by a meeting of' the executive and legislative ' committees of the Municipal Association held on June 15, 1915, when it was referred to the next conference and ordered to be circulated in the meantime: lteeems to mo that the larger cities, and possibly some of the larger boroughs, re- • quire altogether different powers from ' those required by smaller boroughs. Man) of our remits liave been rejected by the Municipal Conference owing to their inapplicability to small boroughs and the consequent inability of certain delegates to appreciate their significance. Ibe ■ Municipal Association might ask the Government whether it would consider the advisability of having a special Act lor cities and large boroughs, or of promoting special legislation for large cities. Ibis is a big subject, require some years for consideration.” The conference held in 1919 passed the following resolution;-“That there should be special legislation for the cities and boroughs engaged in municipal trading concerns on the ground that they require wider powers.” , I find that the department has had this question under consideration for some vears, but owing to the war no further action has been taken. It is hardly necessary for me to rail attention to the number of local - c ■> which it has been found necessary to pass in order to facilitate the mod government of vour city, and the question ol whether it would not be desirable to bring down legislation embodying such existing legislation as is considered necessary, together with any further powers which may be considered desirable, should now, I think be seriously considered. The need for special legislation has already been felt in Australia, where Bill, have been introduced entitled the Melbourne Metropolitan Council Bill anti the Greater City Bill, which Bills have not vet, however, been passed into law. ’ The Melbourne proposal is_ for constitution of a body somewhat of the type of the London County Council; that is to say, a large body dealing with certain ■problems only in all districts within a given metropolitan area, such as transport, water supply, etc., leaving the existing city and boroughs within such area to administer all other functions of local government. . The Greater' Svdncy proposal is somewhat different, the suggested provisions being that the existing Sydney City Council 'should have control, with. enlarged powers, within an area comprising the present city and certain boroughs, which area should be called an “inner zone. Provision is also made for an “outer zone,” the area within which should be partially under the control of the City Council” the idea being probably to make the City Council a supervising town planning authority over the whole of the area that possibly within, say, fifty or sixty vears or so, would naturally become part of the city. The question of which, if cither, of the Melbourne or Sydney proposals is suitable in the case of the cities in this Dominion is one which will, of course, have to bo decided primarily by the city councils concerned, and it seems to me that if your council desires to take any action in the matter, the first _stcp_ would be to set up a committee to inquire fully into the whole question. . It might later be considered desirable to appoint a joint committee of representatives of the four city councils, with a view of deciding whether joint action in the matter would be desirable. It is realised that conditions differ widely in the different cities, and provisions suitable for one city may not be suitable for another. It i« also considered that possibly a commission should bo appointed, as was done in Sydney, to inquire into the whole question; but this aspect of the matter could well be left until your council has either itself, or jointly with the councils of the three other cities, decided upon what action, if any, should be taken. In the event of it being decided to appoint a commission, it is possible that such commssion might consist of, say. nine persons, two of whom would be nominated by each of the four cities, and the ninth might be nominated by the Government- but I might add that it is considered that any expenses connected with the commission, if appointed, should bo borne by the cities concerned.