MINISTER IN NORTHLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 June 1937, Page 2

MINISTER IN NORTHLAND

LOCAL BODIES MERGER.

[PER press association.]

WHANGAREI, June 23

On his first official visit to Northland since attaining Cabinet rank, Mr. Parry was accorded an informal reception by Whangarei local bodies last night. The Minister, referring to the local body amalgamation mission which brought him to Whangarei, said the issue had been side-stepped in the past because it was big and important, but he held it should be faced. He- urged ?, national rather than a. parochial outlook on local body administration. There, was a danger that'while living in 1937, they let their minds dwell on 1880, when smaller units were necessary to foster development. To-day, with better transport communication, the need for the parochial unit was passing, and'a wider conception was necessary. New Zealand could not afford to let any part lag behind in providing facilities • loading to development.

Referring to the advocacy of provincial status for Northland. Mr. Parry said he had watched Whangarei grow consistently for many years. It was destined to be the big northern city. Some feel keenly in regard to provincial status, but there was no such thing''legally in the Dominion. The future Northland would be of immense value to national productivity. There was no doubt about raising the status, which was based'on the foundation of the district itself. If there -were anything he could do, he would regard it as a privilege to help, if possible.

LATER. - Local bodies assembled to-day to discuss with Mr. Parry, details of the local body amalgamation proposal. Practically, all Northland’s thirtytwo local bodies were represented. Mr. Parry outlined the general provisions of the Bill, which he said was good because it had practically escaped criticism. He had found that most local bodies agreed to the principle, but he failed to find one which favoured the scheme When applied to itself. Reconstruction was necessary to meet modern conditions and re-

quirements. "It has been said 1 am a Mussolini or 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 the Minister and what party tackled the problem, so long as a practical solution was reached, and the drift of the past forty years halted." Mr. Parry then dealt with the scheme prepared for the North by Mr. H. C. Hemphill, secretary of the North Auckland Counties’ Association. Paying a 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 disassociate the mind with the old idea that the North was isolated and an unnecessary part of the Dominion. That idea prevailed too long. The North was rapidly developing into one of the most important farming areas in the Dominion with just claims for regarding itself as vital to the prosperity, of the country.