LOCAL BODY REFORM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 21 December 1933, Page 6

LOCAL BODY REFORM

GREAT IMPORTANCE REALISED BY GOVERNMENT Mr W. Lock remarked to a “Mail” representative to-day that on several occasions he had referred to the laige number of local bodies in New Zealand and the need for reform and amalgamation so as to reduce the enormously increased expenditure during comparatively recent years. “It is hold by many capable public men,” said Mr Lock, tnat the problem can he dealt with, and a great deal of money saved without de- : creasing the efficiency of administration. ■ A good deal of information was supplied -me by Dr. Neale, the secretary of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and also by the Government Statistician, ami . I am enabled to furnish some striking facts and figures. “New Zealand had 681 local authori- , ties to administer the affairs of a population equivalent to that of Glasgow or Birmingham. The elected and nominated members numbered between five and six thousand with professional and clerical staffs of 3650. “The aggregate of people employed was 45,402, and the annual wages and salaries amounted to £6,500,000, and it is possible under the present system to be rated separately by nine distinct authorities. “Dr. Neale mentioned that local bodies bad shown abnormal growth during the period from 1915-30 and that whilst the population bad increased only 29 per cent, during that period the number of local body employees bad increased by 76 per cent.', and wages by 199 per cent., the gross loan debt bv 191 per cent., the total annual payments by 224 per cent., and the rates, etc., by 181 per cent. Of the total local authorities 295, including counties and their districts, were typically rural. “1 trust that tlie Government will not delay in making full enquiry in connection’with the problem. *1 am assumed by Mr Coates, Minister of Finance, that he and his colleagues ‘appreciate the very great importance of this matter and it iias been having our attention in the immediate past. " As announced in my Budget statement, the Government is proceeding with a comprehensive enquiry into the whole question, and it is certainly our hope that tlie outcome will lie shown both in economy in expenditure and the enhanced effectiveness of our system of local government.’ ”