LOCAL BODY REFORM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 18 February 1935, Page 3

LOCAL BODY REFORM

NEW ZEALAND I.E(DON’S ACTION THE SHIRE SYSTEM The following statement has been is-’ sued by the National Executive of the N. Z. Legion:— Nearly sixty years ago a somewhat scanty garment was thrown over the local administration of New Zealand, left naked by the abolition of the provinces. It was a poor garment at the best and before very long had to be covered with patches of various ,d/e.s and hues to cover special kinds of administration necessitated by the demand of the public for service in connection with electric power, modern highways, hospitals, river conservation, etc., etc. Overlapping patches bad to be added to existing ones in an unlovely manner to cover the varying districts and populations required for each form or administration. The time is long past when a complete now outfit without patches should be substituted and new local bodies of genoral administration Set up capable of taking over all the services of the special or ad hoc bodies. There- are 387 of these patching local bodies in tile country out of a total of 701. Of the 314 general bodies only 247 are counties and boroughs and the remaining 67 town boards, which should cither lie transformed into boroughs or abolished according to their size and population. Amalgamation of boroughs and counties is no doubt in many cases desirable, but no system of reform that does not practically abolish ad hoc bodies would lie of real and general benefit. General local bodies to replace the ad hoc bodies must include both boroughs and counties and be of large area. Both these conditions must be fulfilled or they could not take over, highways, power, to mention only a few services. Four shire boroughs to include ’.he main cities and surrounding areas and a dozen to twenty shires could administer the functions of almost all, if not all, of the 287 spec-ie-1 or ad hoc bodies already existing. Amalgamation of * lie existing general bodies : town boards to become boroughs or be absorbed in the county; boroughs and counties to amalgamate for economy, efficiency and usefulness should be the second step. Seven counties and eighteen boroughs have less than 1000 population ; several counties range about llic 500 and 600 mark, one particular borough contains only 190 people. Ilow arc. these reforms io bo brought about ? Local body members are empowered by Liu! Government to make recointnondnf’ons for general reform through the Municipal, County and other Associations. A definite lead from within, with public education from without, would be effective in inducing a Government to bring down the necessary legis- 1 lat'on. This is the immediate task that the N Z. Logirn has undertaken. The campaign lias begun in Wellington and the surrounding districts. Well known men, members of the "Lesion, have been announced as candidates with the intention of making this a live issue within the local bodies. If (lie movement gains impetus throughout the whole of tlie Dominion. what has been considered as impossible will be achieved and the long awaited reform will fake place at the instigation of the local bodies with the assistance of the demand of an educated public.