LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 115, 13 May 1912, Page 2

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

SPEECH BY MR RUSSELL.

THE PRESENT WASTE,

PALMERSTON N., May 9

iSpesiikiug on the Local Governingnt Bill, the Hon. GV W.. Russell (Min:.s"tor for lnteraal Affiairs1) said the Bill lteid been handed down to the press^it Administr;itioji f by its p.redleoessoro, ■and bo far as the subjectsl were concerned, they were going t<; \ mlaJs:e a deteirmmod effort to place it on 'tho Stsi.tuto Book There were between 600 and. 700 local bodies operating in New, Zealand for' one million people. In many of "these bodies the cost <;{ . , management l cached 25 to 33 per cent, of the rates, collected. In some Ofiises the cost of management-ex-oeededf-th© rates. It would be puerile to tillow such?, state of things to continue. The .Government had no <leisire to take away any rights or auy privileges, biit to increase the power and responsibilities of local bodies. Tliey h«d no desire to* shunt the.- responsibilities of Parliament so far .;n finances were concerned on-;the people of the country, but the time had: come when Parliament must not contmjji> ta>'be--regarded as a milch cow to which any body of individuals could go to obtain what they wanted. There should be some sound sysjiem or finiivnoe, and there should be some responsibility placed on the locality that got the money. He hoped th-xi th« day of roads und bridges grants and subsidies to local bodies without responsibility would cease. MrJ. G. Wilson: "How will you fix education?" Mr Russell said it was not intended that there should be any difference as to • primary ■'" ♦■d'ucation, in that the locality should supply any funds 'or primary education, but when ' they came to the large demands for technical education they were on another class of subject. -While-the entire responsibility of primary ed<ic«tio'i must be miiintained on the State, tho responsibility for technical education and "embroideries" of that c&;mss must be. shared by those people who wanted them and by the State. There wei'e extravagant, demands' beins: made in the large cities for huge technical colleges at the expense oi' the State. NOT PINNED TO BILL. The present Government did not nepessfcrily pin itself down to all Hi) details, of the Local Government Bill. ias introdpeed by the, Ward Gbveriimont. They desired to see simiilification, economy, efficiency, and a sense of responsibility on the part of the committees' for th© working of local government. Nothing bad been more subject- to criticism than; the rosuls and' bridges: grants, and .there iWd been no one more persistent in retaining them than the gentlemen who professed to be most opposed* to fcli;s system and opposed to the Govei-i: - m<?nt.. He could name members of the Opposition who had obtained thousands and thousands more or their districts \\vtxi gentlemen on +he side of the Government. The-1 system was bad. Tlic conference at Wellington on May 21 ; would comprise gentlemen who could bring; to "bear experience of local government. It was a conference of advice su>d ,<n '■'~ rouild-the-table talk on the Ldcil : Government Bill, which would enablo. the Government to see whether New

Zealand! wanted local government reform, and whut reform it wanted. 'A great number' of offices would! be abolished, and perhaps those so wiped out would object, but it was for the' people of New Zealand to say whether the present expensive, ridiculous multiplication of local bodi is should ..continue. If the people did wanVit to continue, they must ao cept the inevitable, but it represented a great wtistc of power und oi' money.