LOCAL BODIES' CO-ORDINATION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 63, 2 March 1921, Page 4

LOCAL BODIES' CO-ORDINATION.

We are pleased to see that a matter that has already been touched upon -thau opce-ip colupina has engaged the atteptjou pi’ the Minister

of Public Works. In the course of his introductory address at the conference of the engineers of his Department now sitting at Wellington, the Hon. Mr. Coates emphasized the need for instituting some organized system of co-opera-tion among public bodies under some common expert direction. He himself did not go into any details on the subject, but invited its more thorough discussion by those in attendance at the conference, so that we may hope to have in later reports some definite suggestions to be laid before local authorities. The brief report of the Minister's speech that is so far available would almost load to the conclusion that he had specially, if not solely, in vi*w the matters of construction and maintenance of arterial roads lut no doubt Mr. Coates’s eminently practical mind will recognise that the proposal may well extend to minor operations, and be made to take beneficial effect among the smaller urban municipalities as well as among rural govern ng authorities. It is. however, among the latter that a lack of co-ordination of effort and expenditure is most notable and regrettable, and where substantial economies may most easily be brought about. In the matter of plant alone it can easily be seen that both economy and efficiency could best be served by combination among neighbouring local bodies. Taking the Dominion all through, we are sadly behind the times with regard, to labour-saving mechanical devices—even those that have for some time been in customary use among communities in this respect more progressive than our own. The days of the pick a?id shovel for anything but the most trifling undertakings In the way of public works were numbered long ago in America, and we might well take example from there and from Canada in this regard. The matter of expense alone needs to be considered, and this problem will be most simply solved by the amalgamation of financial resources. The Minister would seem to hint that the general supervision which he has in mind should be committed to officers of his Department. We fancy, however, that.the general opinion among local bodies wlil be that they should themselves accept the? rsponsibility of making the&e appointments. Mr. Coates apparently depreciates the tendency in his own Department towards centralization, and this idea may >3ll be extended to the proposal now being discussed. The grouping suggested must be carefully made, and every precaution taken to see that the groups are not allowed to become unwieldy. The Minister and ! his engineers will doubtless at an early date make public their views upon the matter, and it will then be for local bodies to get together and take steps to put them in practice.