LOCAL BODIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 18

LOCAL BODIES

.'AMALGAMATION SCHEME / " CONFERENCE AT WAIROA PROPOSAL NOT FAVOURED REGIONAL COUNCIL REJECTED [by telegraph—owx correspondent] GISBORXE, Thursday Wairoa local bodies no longer desire amalgamation under one regional council, according to the opinion expressed by a large majority of tho delegates at a meeting yesterday afternoon, which reverses a recommendation made by a similar meeting nearly three years ago. The proposal then was to elect a regional council comprising eight members to take over the operations of the County Council, Borough Council, Power Board, Harbour Board, Hospital Board, and Whakaki Drainage Board. No definite proposal was placed before yesterday's meeting, but discussion proceeded on the assumption that something similar would be mooted if the majority of the representatives favoured av change. All but a few, however, were satisfied with the existing state of affairs, stating that the ratepayers had not complained, and a motion to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, and an official of the department to visit Wairoa with the proposal was lost in favour of an amendment to send press reports to the Minister without comment. Government's Interest The Mayor of Wairoa, Mr. H. O. Harker, said the new Government had announced that it would encourago the amalgamation of local bodies. The Government was interested in the Wairoa plan and the Minister had promised to visit Wairoa with an officer of tho department to discuss the matter with local body representatives. The Mayor added that the total costs of administration among the six local bodies concerned were £5755 per annum, and' under the amalgamation this could be reduced to £4550, a saving of £1205. Other savings would amount to about £1125, making a total saving in administration and other directions of about £2330. It was not in the saving in administration expenses, however, that the real gain would be , noticed: the principal savings would be in closer scrutiny of expenditure, particularly of loan money. If amalgamation had come into effect years ago the ratepayers would be burdened with perhaps £200,000 less loan money than at present. 1 Method of Election The Mayor said that members would be elected on a district basis. The 1933 conference had recommended election by the ratepayers, but the present Government!' advocated local body elections and polls in the same manner as the Parliamentary franchise. Several members believed that in that case they need go no further. The county chairman, Mr. A. G. Nolan, said the greatest saving would be in wise expenditure, which an independent body of men would decide to better effect than one elected for individual bodies. However, if the vote wculd be in the same manner as the Parliamentary franchise, he would have nothing to do with it. Mr. W. Tait said the personal touch in dealing with ratepayers would bo lost. Seats Mr. Harker said that members' seats in the present local bodies totalled 55, comprising eight on the County Council, 10 on the Power Board, eight on the Harbour Board, eight on the _HosDital Board, seven on the Drainage Soard, five on the Fire Board, and nine on the Borough Council. Mr. F. Berry said that they were asking for eight men to do the work of 55. Would they get efficiency? Mr. P. J. Brewster said that the 55 positions were filled by 39 men, some of whom sat on more than one body. Mr. Berry said he held four positions, and all his spare time was taken tip. If eight men were asked to do the whole work, would the members be able /to spare the time? Mr. Nolan said his .idea of the position was that the chairman or commissioner would be a highly-paid official or burgomaster. Mr. Berry: Then we come down to the system in tha "United States, that is, a town manager, and that has been found unsatisfactory. _ _ Mr. Brewster said that the individual touch local bodies had would be lost in amalgamation, in which block voting would lead to trouble. / " Try It Elsewhere "

The Mayor said that his proposal was not to ask the Minister to come to Wairoa on the assumption that Wairoa was definitely in favour of amalgamation, but rather to investigate the proposal and hear the views of the district. Mr. Berry: Being a little bit Scotch, I would like this experiment tried out on some other district. There are plenty of other places just as well adapted to. it. W r e should leave experiments alone. Mr. C. Chapman suggested that as the meeting did not have sufficient information before it the matter should be deferred. The" proposal did not appear to be practical, and he feared that what might be saved would be lost by a lack of efficiency, although it might look well in theory.