INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Southland Times, Issue 22998, 18 September 1936, Page 4

INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

SOUTHLAND BRANCH.

ADDRESS BY MR. STURMAN. x

■ On Wednesday, night the second lecture arranged by the Southland branch of the Institute of Public Administration was given by the lown Clerk, Mr W. F. Sturman, his subject being “Civic Administration and Finance.” The president, Mr R. H. Mottram, in introducing the speaker, referred to the need for a greater; understanding of the principles of civic administration as it was closely allied to Government administration. Mr Sturman began his address by referring to the close kinship between local and governmental administration. The subject was a vast one, he said, and he could but briefly touch on its various phases. He proceeded to deal with the settlement of land. As the country became settled so the need for boroughs became necessary, he said. According to law a borough must have no fewer than 1000 people and nine square miles of land. Invercargill was a city, and became so on account of its population, which had reached the 20.000 necessary for that distinction. Some towns became a city with a smaller population, such as Nelson, which was known as a cathedral city. The ward system in its application to a borough was explained. For a ward to become a borough a petition must be signed by not fewer than a fifth of the persons concerned and application made to the Government. If it were approved the Governor-General would make the requisite declaration. There was no limit, he said, to the growth of a city and the council had power to lodge a petition on behalf of the ratepayers. Mr Sturman said he came from a district where it was impossible to tell where one borough ended and the next began. Lower Hutt, the district referred to, would if joined with the adjacent boroughs make a city of 35,000 persons. The biggest economic losses occurred where there were a 'number of small boroughs. The duplication of plant was enormous; it would be saved by amalgamation. In dealing with elections Mr Sturman explained that a mayor and councillors were elected for a term of three years, and that one did not need to be a taxpayer to vote providing he had been in the district fo r a prescribed period. The mayor was elected by a vote of the people and was answerable to them alone—not to the councillors. Provision was made for compensation for a mayor up to £5OO per annum. The appointment of officers was necessary and it was the usual thing to appoint a town clerk and a city engineer. The council had the power to appoint standing committees and chairmen for such sections as works, reserves and finance. Invecargill, he continued, had its trading department and library which were administered by the council. Although a committee could not start a legal action there were over 40 Acts which gave a council power to make by-laws which again must be approved by the Government departments. Such bylaws were only sound if they did not conflict with a Statute. The general advisers of local bodies were the heads of departments.—The city engineer, the gas manager and others—and thus was brought about co-ordination of control. The town clerk was the chief executive officer and was the mouthpiece of the council. A feature of having departments controlled by a committee was that it made each department keener to show results than would be shown under a general manager. In America, Mr Sturman said, councils were not a feature of local government, but the system of appointing commissioners prevailed. This certainly resulted in quick decisions, but was open to abuse as it depended on one man, although he was answerable to the public, who elected him. The two methods of rating were explained together with the application of unimproved and capital value rating in New Zealand. An ideal method would be to have a general and special rate on unimproved values as this would act as a cloak to speculators. The procedure for the recovery of rates was explained and a list of institutions which were exempt from taxes enumerated. In conclusion Mr Sturman said that New Zealand had an excellent record of civic administration and that graft was unknown. *

The chairman thanked Mr Sturman for his address.