MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 278, 13 November 1911, Page 3

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

THE I O.MjiDSJON SY S n-i.’-l. HIGH SALARIED ADM I\I•• 1 !l TORS. QUESTION OF ADOPT )N IN NEW ZEALAND. Municipal government by CMiinu' t.ion and the question ct' the d-.-.sir-al-.iiiiy cf -luch a svsteni of cr. administration being introduced int ’ New Zealand, was the subject of an int-'resting interview obtained by an

‘■Auckland Star” representative from the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Pan) on Friday morning. In America government by c<:in:-ion has been adopted ill 27 states with remarkable success, and as Mr. Parr was in that count)y wl.cn the system was inaugurated, and has followed its development v< i v closely since, he is in a position to speak with a knowledge cf the subject. The Mayor describes control by cc-.iimission as one of the most -n--tci'csting modern phases of municipal g.vtrnmcnt. It meant that councils and elective bodies were done away with, and in their ‘lead were elected Boards of Commissioners. Generally these boards consisted of five membrs, elected for a period of four or five years, at salaries which in some c.iu’s amounted t-i £|oi)i per year per member. The numbers of the board gave (!:<■ whole of tin ir time to the adni.nistralion of the city. One was --leete-1 as Mayor, and each commiss oiier had a special department to ad.m-n--is’ir, ami practically had a fret hand in l:is selection of departmental ol'fieers. The commissioners were forced to do good work, b - cause they were open to recall. I.’ any commissioner proved to b: inefficient. it was possible to cancel his appointment by a referendum to the people. The system had nowbeen in opt ration in States and 2\ million people were under the commissioner form of Government. No less than 133 cities had adopted the system and found it a success. Another feature of the Anicriean p!a:i was tiiat the power c-f initiation was left in the hands of the people. Ii" :h<v wanted a L:g woik, similar, say, t’i ti e Grafton Biidge, carried out. they had only to employ the initiative vote and secure it l>y referendum. I ndcr tiiis system each, crmmiissioncr was a shining mark for crilieism; hence sensitive responsible government. The officials save good government because that was the way to keep popular. l-i America, continued Mr. I’r.i r, there warn no doubt that graft played a great part in municipal politics. Until a few years ago the ward boss who was able to comniar.d so many hundreds of votes in bis ward held supreme auth<n ily in i:n ><’ niatteis. The advent of the- commission form i f government had kill* cl the boss ami the ward system. This nieanl a great deal, because the old w a.> sp. It extravagance, ami waste .nd

J-.ist one particular case, said Yr.’. Pa r, vas worth mentioning. Ui'.w::-. in the city of Houston. I nd.er the obi system, Houston had ab hi! tin- average municipal gov criiim nt The city was failing to meet xo<’ires. claims against it being hawked abeilt at 2’l per cent discount. Within four years of the adaption of the new scheme, nearly half a million of indebteilness had been paid, one and a h.-Jf million bad been devoted to iimnieipal improvements, all the pu'die serv ices were improved, and the cost to the people of such services reduced : the city credit was restored, street paving was better, a 15-aerc paik was acquired, bickering diappeal(d from city affairs. ami piosperity and progress resulted. This was all the more rerun rkable for the reaso.i that mere was little- change in the pei’son’ic-l () f t} l( . city government. The Mayor and some of the commissioners were continued over from the old regime. It was the new system, therefore, that wrought the miracle. A-.ked whether he thought it de-

,■:ruble that such a system should be introduced into New Zealand, the M tyor said that the scheme had mr.ch to recommend it. He thought the parliamentary system of Government was entirely obsolete for the conduct cf public business. Mill) regard to municipal matters, he was no; prepared to s.;ty that our pi"eent elective system was a bad erne. Fo far it had worked with fair c-fii-cienev. Certainly there had been m> s/rioi-.s attempt at graft in this country. Questioned whether lie did not tl;ink the 1 comniisison form of government might be more eflective in procuring efficiency than the sy<<-m ai present in eiperntion. the May r re >li< d: - Perhaps it would. ( liable boards of directors might A<’t more for the people for then’ mon-’ than the present elective eoum.ms. ilvoting as they would all then turnbrains ami energy to the city :er-

vices. • Would vmi be prepared to advocate such a change!” he was asked. ■ No. m>; at present.' answered Mr. Parr’. "I am no, yet prepared to go so far a.> that. I cannot help thinking, however, tiiat eventually, when n change is brought about in < i;r system of municipal government it will be in tb.is direction."