Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, 1933. LOCAL BODY REFORM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18207, 30 September 1933, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald P UBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, 1933. LOCAL BODY REFORM

It is ditlicult to understand the reason, for the reported decision of the. Government to circumscribe the’ scope of the commission that it is in-j tended to set. up to investigate the important question of local body reform, and equally ditlicult to compro-' bond the seeming reluctance to tackle the matter at all. Nearly three years have now elapsed since the Prime Minister stated, quite unequivocally, that a complete overhaul of local government was lo be made, and that, with this object ia view, a commission would ho appointed almost immediately. Nothing was done, and, then, after being pressed on the point, Mr. Forbes intimated that action was to be deferred. The agitation through-! out the country persisted, however, for there was a wide recognition of the imperative need of some sort of reform, mi the score both of ellicioncv

ami economy. The National Economy Commission was -emphatic in il.s recommendations in tills connection and considered that a thorough investigation should lie regarded as a matter of urgency. When Mr. Hamilton visited this district, to deal with the position of the Matakaoa County Council lie raised fresh hopes by a pronouncement that his department had already, collected a. mass of information on proposed changes in the system of administration, and added that an inquiry would he launched at tin early date. Once again, however, nothing was done., During the Lyttelton byelection campaign, Mr. Young, with as much emphasis as liis eo-Ministe.rs, announced the pending appointment of a commission, and it was freely reported that the chairman would be Mr. Barton, a gentleman who is particularly fitted for this task and whoso selection was advocated in these columns many months ago. Certainly there appeared to be grounds for believing that, the Government was determined no longer to shirk its obvious responsibility in this connection, but once- again .advocates of reform have been disappointed, because, although it is still intended, apparently, that an inquiry should proceed, its scope is to be Limited to rural bodies, in which case only the fringe of the matter will be touched and the comprehensive revision that is called for will not be possible. To confine the work of the commission to counties is not. merely a piecemeal method of procedure, lmt must inevitably materially reduce the value of whatever work is undertaken. It is true, admittedly, that the ditlieultios of country districts are most pressing, but to cope with rural problems independently is,almost an impossibility, for they are irretrievably interwoven with other aspects of the same question, and their solution is almost entirely dependent upon .some comprehensive scheme of reform. In this district, for example, it might, bo found desirable to amalgamate, several of the existing count.y councils, but any advantage, thus obtained, would

be largely nullified by the fact that there still would be an uneconomic, overlapping of such authorities as hospital boards, harbor boards, .and power boards. These bodies and county councils are all inter-related, and because of this it w most ess,ontint that any .attempt ;it regrouping should be dealt with al the one lime. There is already mil liority tor a re duct ion i n Ihe iiumber of liospil :il dis t.ricts, but. it would be nothing short of absurd if the procedure followed resulted in the regrouping in this ea.se differing from that adopted in regard to comity councils or harbor boards. One of the chief aims should be to obtain some uniformity of boundaries on a regional basis, and (he best way of (insuring this, if not the

only way, is to allow one commission In make a. revision that will apply t ll all local bodies. The proposal advanced voluntarily til Wairon is an example of what would lie possible. In that case, whatever plan might ultimately be adopted, there will be one boundary for (lie wlnde district, overlapping will be reduced to a mini mum, there will be the maximum efficiency, and the natural community of interest will be preserved. 11 is possible, even though it might tioL lie probable, that, were a series ol‘ outside investigations to be made the Wairoa County would be absorbed in Hawke’s Day, the Hospital Hoard in Gisborne, and other bodies, most urgently needing reform, lelf. as they are. It, is clear, therefore, that it is desirable, from every point ol view, that, there should be no restrictions in the scope of the commission. Apait from the desirability of this procedure, there is the question of whether any alternative is practicable. Hum far would it be possible to investigate the position of county control without, being confronted with the impossibility of arriving at a reasonable solution unless consideration was also

oi\ on to the position of otlici o\eilapping bodies? 'faking this district as a guide again, it will immediately be realised that the elimination of one

or more county councils would automatically affect, the representation and the rating of the harbor, hospital, and power boards, and, possibly, to a very material extent. Incidentally, the rural local bodies comprise only a small proportion of the fiSO local bodies in the Dominion, so that even were effective reforms brought about, the major part of the problem would still remain to be dealt with. That there is a.u imperative need for a general reform of local government cannot, be denied, but it is questionable whether it would not be better to leave the matter alone altogether rather than to attempt to deal with it in the haphazard fashion suggested by the Minister. IT, however, the Government lias really reached the stage of determining to proceed, then Parliament should insist that whatever commission is set up should be free to investigate the problem fiom evorv angle and bring down recommendations that will result in final and comprehensive readjustments.