COUNTY AMALGAMATION

Evening Star, Issue 22595, 12 March 1937, Page 7

COUNTY AMALGAMATION

PROPOSED UNION OF GLUTHA, BRUCE, TUAPEKA GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS OUTLINED Stating that he was ’not asking for revolutionary measures, but only 1 that they should keep up to date, the Hon. W.E. Parry (Minister of internal Affairs) yesterday addressed a conference of representatives of the Bruce, Clutha, and i’uapeka County Councils held for the purpose of considering the Local Govern meat (Amalgamation Schemes) Bill, which is to come before Parliament next session. The Minister said that, following on the principles he had enunciated, tentative provision had been made for the amalgamation of Bruce, Tuapeka, and Clutha Counties. That was the particular point on which he desired to hear the viewpoint of the representatives at the conference. ■ , “ In arriving at this standard, for the proposed new county,” continued ‘ the Minister, “ I have taken as a basis the fact that there are large counties in existence to-day which can be said-to be operating quite successfully. Taking the broad view of the situation and excluding all the small details which are usually held up by opponents of a scheme, as condemning the system, 1 think the two basic cases as regards the area, population, and rateable value of counties could be said to be the Hawke’s Bay County in the North Island and Southland County in the South Island. I have used these two counties as a fair basis. No one can tell me that counties of a size, population, and rateable value such as those two cannot be properly administered. “ Applying the experience of those two counties to a comparison with the proposed amalgamated county of Bruce, Clutha, and Tuapeka, I find that the following comparative figures exist: — Total RateArea able capi- Popu(Acres). tal value. lation. Hawke’s Bav Cou ity 1,071,360 £10,639.417, 15,750 Southland County ... 2,391,040 12,583,373 35,770 Proposed amalgamated county 1,854,720 7,074,467 16,890 “On a comparison with these figures,” the Minister said, “ I think the proposed amalgamation can, taking the broad view, not be considered unreasonable. My appeal to you to-day is to look at this matter from the broad, national standpoint. We have entered into an era when changes have to be made in order that we may keep apace with progress. Our local government house does not seem to be quite w order. I feel that if we wish to preserve the true traditions of democracy and carry out a system by which there can be close co-ordination and co-opera-tion between the Central Government

and the local authorities, then we must have local authorities with wider areas of control and equipped more strongly financially than they are to-day. “ This Government,” Mr Parry added, “ is not, as hag been alleged, out to kill local government. Its aim is to preserve local government, which I honestly think is one of the best protectors of democracy that exists today.” The speakers at the conference congratulated the Minister on the lucidity of his address. The counties affected have now to consider the proposals placed before them.