LOCAL BODIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22469, 13 July 1936, Page 11

LOCAL BODIES

COST TO RATEPAYERS DUPLICATED AUTHORITY CASE FOR AMALGAMATION [by TKI.EGRAPH riIF.SS association] WELLINGTON, Saturday Dealing with the high, cost of management of local afTairs by several separate governing bodies in towns and boroughs of the Dominion, the Minister of Internal AfTairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, referred to-day to the case of boroughs in which legal tussles had taken place costing the ratepayers large sums of money. "The more I go into the question," stated the Minister, "the more glaring do examples appear before me illustrating the soundness of any step taken to bring about the amalgamation of outlocal bodies. Almost daily notable circumstances come to light, all showing the high cost sometimes caused by duplicating the authority of administration t>f the people's local affairs. "One or two recent events, all suhjeet to legal action, have been told to me by visiting Mayors of progressive boroughs of the Dominion. Thfi*y have with convincing facts shown me how council's exchequers would have been saved a large expenditure, not eulv in Court proceedings, but in other directions as well, if there had been unification of the bodies. "If there had been but one body controlling local affairs many of these squabbles, they tell me, could have been satisfactorily adjusted round the council table, but with the participation of other bodies in these squabbles, and they had the right within their functions to participate, there was little hope of settlement outside of a Court, judgment. I am sure the people of New Zealand, and no doubt local bodies themselves, will see wisdom in the amalgamation proposals now being prepared."