LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20786, 3 August 1929, Page 14

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

The New Zealand Local Authorities Handbook for 1929, issued by the Census and Statistics Office, constitutes' an imposing record. It may astonish many people to learn that the number of local bodies actually functioning in New Zealand at the end of last year was as* large as 686, There were 127 county councils, 119 borough councils, 68 town boards, 47 hospital boards, and 45 harbour boards. For the rest the list is made up for the most part of road boards, river boards, land-drainage boards, city and suburban drainage boards, wqtersupply boards, fire boards, local railway boards, eleetric power boards, and rabbit boards. Wheff the population of the Dominion is considered it will be generally agreed that New Zealand is adequately, perhaps more than adequately, provided for in the matter of local government. The responsibilities must indeed be multitudinous that have to be distributed over 686 authorities. The question prompted, however, whether there might not advantageously be a

merging of the funotioni of some of these numerous local bodies. II cannot be supposed that the , interests of economy are served by the existence of such a multiplicity of authorities. The figures relating to the finance of these local bodies are distinctly impressive. At the end of March last the assets were valued at just on £70,000,000. The total gross indebtedness of the local bodies increased during the last twenty years from £14,931,351 to £66,404,172, and the annual charges on the latter sum by way of interest, sinking fund, and repayment of principal amount to £4,255,469. Electricity supply and lighting loans account for 22 per cent, of the total indebtedness, and, as would be expected, these items in modern expenditure have contributed largely to the rapid growth of local body indebtedness of recent years. With respect to the gross debt from the not uninteresting aspect of the amount which it represents per head-of population, the statistics show that since 1900 the increase has been uninterrupted from £lO 4s Id per head in 1900 to £45 13s Sd in 1928. As a-people we seem to bear the burden with a degree of complacency that is the more remarkable when we remember that the net indebtedness of the Government amounts to more than £l7l per head.