COUNTY AMALGAMATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 2

COUNTY AMALGAMATIONS

MINISTER MEETS NORTHLAND LOCAL BODIES [Per United Press Association.] WHANGAREI, June 23. Whangarei to-day was the centre of a gathering of representatives of local bodies to discuss with the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) details of the local body amalgamation proposal. Practically all Northland’s 32 local bodies were represented. Mr Parry outlined the general provisions of the Bill' which, he said, was a good one, because it had practically escaped criticism. He bad found that most local bodies agreed on the principle, but had failed ro find one favoured scheme. “ It has been said I am a Mussolini, a Hitler.” Mr Parry said ; “ but that is a mentally lazy way of disposing of another man’s arguments.” It was a matter of indifference what Minister or what party tackled the problem so long as a practical solution was reached and the drift of the past 40 years was halted. Mr Parry dealt with the scheme prepared for the north by Mr H. C. Hemphill (secretary of the North Auckland Counties’ Association). Paying tribute to the author, he said it was one of the best schemes he had studied to date. Dealing with the problem of the north, one had to dissociate his mind from the old idea that the North was an isolated, unnecessary part of the Dominion. That idea had prevailed too long. The north was rapidly developing into one of the most important farming areas of the Dominion with just claims for regarding itself as vital to the prosperity of the country.