Report of County Council's Represented at Dominion Conference of Local Bodies

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 12 June 1912, Page 8

Report of County Council's Represented at Dominion Conference of Local Bodies

The following report presented by Mr French to. the Eodney "County Council is published by desire of the Council :— As the representative of the Counties in the Auckland Hospital district at the Dominion Conference of Local Bodies representatives I have the honour to submit the following report;— The Conference opened in the Sydney St schoolroom Wellington, on Tuesday May -Ist and closed shortly after 10 p.m. on the following' Thursday. The sheets containing names and number of delegates, both indicated that seats were prepared in sequence, starting from the.most Northern representative on the right to the Southland delegation on the left; and also that in personnel the Conference was the most representative of Local Government ever held in the Dominion. The one department of Local body work almost unrepresented was that oi Eoad districts. The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. G. W. Eussell presided, and opened the business with the reading of a lengthy statement on New Zealand Local Government. In my opinion, the outstanding feature of the Minister's statement, was the condemnation of the basis of subsidy contained in the Bill, and the recommendation, that the basis of subsidy upon which government aid is given to the shires in New South Wales should be adopted here. [We published the basis a fortnight ago.] That the Conference endorsed the recommendation was largely due to the Minister. While the present doleing out of grants was unanimously condemned, there was some hesitancy in accepting the New South system, arising from the limited time for consideration. If local authorities approve of the system it would help forward a change if they conveyed their opinion to the Minister. The destructive work upon which the great majority of the representatives were intent, was done ; but it was not done with the same degree of unanimity that found expression prior to the Conference. Members admitted that the Minister's desire for support in the discharge of his responsibility was not unreason able. The Ministerintirnated that he favoured the deletion of the clause exempting the proposed Local Government Board from acting judicially. The proposal was thrown out by a majority of one. Then it was tried again with the substitution of two elective members, and again defeated. A prior amendment that the members of the Board should be elected by the House of Eepreseutatives had shared the same fate. ISo far as the debate was concerned it did not alter my conviction, that -while the Minister should have all the assistance requisite, the responsibility should rest solely in him; and that a Board, whether entirely noniinatory or partly elective, would never abrogate one of its powers, but on the contrary, would be alert to increase its importance by the assumption of further functions. The Minister justified the Provincial Council's proposal as a means to check the growing severance between cities and country. Iv his opening speech the Mayor of Auckland, claimed the cities had their own problems to solve. Your representative while not approving of the -frovineial Council proposal did his best to impress on the Conference the truth of the Minister's statement. That Counties upon whom the work and cost fell, of keeping open the road to Auckland's front door had a rate revenue of 2s (5d per chain per year. Later oq, both the Mayor of Auckland, and the Mayor of Wellington intimated that they would agree to the cessation of subsidy to the large cities, and on the Minister intimating the abandonment of the Provincial Councils, he mentioned that the claim made by your representative could be met by an increased subsidy, aud that as the majority of the country's ratepayers resided in cities, the cities would thus indirectly pay a more equitable quota for the maintenance of the main roads of the country. The Education and Hospital and Charitable Aid changes as outlined in the Bill were condemned. Eidings and the keeping of riding accounts •were retained. The Minister agreed that the limitation of overdraft to the amount of revenue outstanding was unworkable. The rural, local franchise was approved. Iv the last connection the Chairman of Committee moved in the Conference, on his own responsibility, for an alteration in Municipal franchise, to make it more in unison with the County franchise. The Mayor Wellington took the opportunity to "urge for conformity, but in the contrary direction to that proposed by Mr Jull. The motion was ultimately withdrawn. The Ministers opinion as to the heavy administration cost of local bodies decided the Conference to go further in the way of a revolutionary proposal than the Bill did. It recommended t!m extinction 'of Eivtsr Boards. Town .;,,v>.irds, Domain Boards aad the smaller Harbour Boards. No evideuce of value was submitted t<> tho Conference to justify such a sweeping change. ' The'ratio of adoiinistiiiiii.n cost to the work done instead of being' high was reasonable, and was lowest in the smaller, bodies. In the committee discussion, my statement that at present the Government paid no subsidy upon County rates where Eoad Boards existed was challenged, and an appeawas made to the Crown Law Drafts! p?au. My amendment that any pro*

posal to amalgamate existing1 counties should be submitted to ratification by the ratepayers interested, was defeated by a large majority. Evidence adduced showed that throughout the Dominion, the people directly interested were, on their own motion merging smaller bodies into larger ones. If the Government by its subsidies, aided, instead of hindered that trend, evolution instead of revolution would achieve the end generally desired. In conclusion, I am glad to report the greatest sympathy was accorded to country needs by city representatives. The Hon. the Minister in presiding over the Conference made a bold experiment and it proved a great personal success. Mr Kussell not only revealed capacity, but his tact could not have been exceeded. The Conference had no diffidence in expressing its mind on any subject, and the only time it became enthusiastic v/as when it sang the praises of the Minister. I have the honour to be gentlemen, , " Tour obedient servant, [ H. E. French.