Counties Consider Amalgamation Plan Too Wide in Scope

Northern Advocate, 10 August 1938, Page 7

Counties Consider Amalgamation Plan Too Wide in Scope

LUlje.cial To "Northern Advocate.” I WELLINGTON. This Day. \\7HILE ADMITTING THAT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AMALGAMA- ' IION OF LOCAL BODIES COULD BE CARRIED OUT WITH ADVANTAGE. THE NEW ZEALAND COUNTIES’ ASSOCIATION, GIVING EVIDENCE ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AMALGAMATION SCHEME BILL YESTERDAY MORNING. DECLARED THAT THE AMALGAMATION SUGGESTED IN THE BILL WAS TOO WIDE. Representatives of the association dealt extensively with problems of local government and the difficulties being faced, and presented the following conclusion to the Select Cpmmittee.—. A certain amount of amalgamation could be carried out with advantage to the Dominion, but not to the wide extent suggested by the Bill.,

* Investigation Wanted. No plan of amalgamation should be formulated until an impartial commission has made a complete investigation into the numerous anomalies existing in local government and into the implications of interwoven State activities, and has provided solutions to overcome them. If such ,an investigation is carried out, and suitable recommendations made, the process will be made easier and more palatable for all. Before concluding the evidence, Mr Talbot, president of the association, said that, while the association agreed that stronger and fewer counties could be built up in some district the counties expressed the following fears: — Bureaucratic Control. That the amalgamation of local bodies is another step towards bureaucratic control of the county system, and another nail in the coffin of local body control. During the past 18 months, the State has carried out- a policy of peaceful penetration into several phases of local body activities. The association cannot too strongly emphasise its opinion that national ,and local life should not drift into bureaucracy. That a process of amalgamation cannot be satisfactory unless the coalescing of policies and ideas give, promise of being harmonious. That local body reform is being unduly hurried at the expense of ihinformation filtering through to counties, so that at the moment they are unable to size up the repercussions involved. Increased Expenditure. That amalgamation will mean either an increase in expenditure in a newlycreated area or the curtailment of the services being given; that the creation of large and unwieldly areas must mean incx-eased costs without a corresponding increase in efficiency. There is a number of other fears enumerated, including finally one that the individual ratepayer will have less to pay in the control of expenditure for which he was rated.