Readers Write

Northern Advocate, 11 August 1938, Page 6

Readers Write

“X.Y.Z." is right in what he says; about Whang'arei's failure to exploit ( its natural assets. Whangarei Falls \ are as pretty a sight;

EXPLOITING LOCAL FALLS.

as can be found in in the Dominion,,

yet they are ticolly unknown to strangers. Even; local residents take them for granted,' and seem to be apathetic to their am-! azing beauty. If these falls were in seme other district they would be advertised, exploited and generally made* known to outsiders as well as insiders, k A .. is at present, one locates them | oy casually walking over private pro -1 perty through a lot of mud and slush. | There is nothing (except a worn path ] and style) to indicate where they are. ] It behoves the public of Whangarei to ' get together and form a citizens’ com- ■ mittee or a beautifying society or such ! like, and take over the falls and sur- 1 rounding land 'as a borough sightseeing spot. The effort would be more than repaid. I would like to see what other town in New Zealand has such a pretty sight as these falls in such close proximity. Whangarei, however, seems not to appreciate their worth. —“VISITOR.”

The time is fast approaching when 1 many local bodies in New Zealand must seriously consider reducing their present numerical

LOCAL BODIES’ ECLIPSE.

r e p r e s e ntation.. With increasing'

power vested in State Departments, the capacity of county councils, hospital boards, drainage boards and town boards to undertake work of any importance is rapidly fading away. Even today a candid study of county council activities reveals that the Public Works Department helds the upper hand in major works.

Beyond expenditure of minor amounts, everything suggested by the counties must be approved by the district engineer for the particular area. At every county, council meeting in the Dominion it has become almost a matter of routine to refer decisions of any importance to the Public Works Department representative. He has become in very truth dictator of his own little sphere. A glance at our own county council reveals it to be no exception, for the deciding authority in this county’s affairs is not the county itself, but the Public Works Department. Throughout the Dominion other county councils are similarly being forced into a state where they can do little beyond make recommendations for the Department.

Hospital boards are in like position. They can do little of their own initiative beyond minor administration and the bringing forward of proposals. Major staff appointments, new building programmes, extensive alterations, and other matters formerly left for the boards to decide for themselves, are now referred, with recommendations, to the Department of Hbalth. The board’s authority ceases with the forwarding of recommendations; and when recommendations are adopted its authority rests only in supervision of the work undertaken, subject to the department’s own surveillance.

Town boards, drainage boards, and the numerous other small bodies in this country are in a similar position. Expert engineers, secretaries, accountants, inspectors, who have proved their worth in local body organisation, find themselves subservient to the authority of a State employee acting on behalf of the department controlling ithe particular body. T£> such experts the future appears devoid of the personal pride they formerly held in their work.

It is the board members themselves, however, who will feel the change most. With power limited 'to the making of recommendations they must soon face the problem of whether or not their present representation is warranted. From present indications it appeal's that, if the change in local body administration is to be as rapid for the next 12 months as it has been in the past year, local body members must seriously ask themselves what will h'appen when their waning power completely fades away. This is a matter of which the public should take early notice. —“OBSERVER.”