LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 23, 24 May 1912, Page 5

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

D! POIITAXT RECOMMENDATIONS. tPer Association ; Wellington, May 23. The Local Government Committee \o. 1 reported in favour of the formation of local government boards, to take over and exercise the tunclions of the Minister and Governor-in-Council, such boards to consist of three members appointed by Parliament for a fixed term of not less than live years, with the Minister as as member of the board ex officio, and members of Parliament not to be eligible. The committee reported against provincial councils, but favoured the substitution of a system of increased subsidies on some definite principle, instead of the distribution of public moneys by promiscuous grants for roads, bridges, etc. All engagements already made should, however, be carried out. The Government should completely road all new lands, and subsidies should be regulated by the necessities of a district, rather than by the amount of rates collected. Parliament should annually set aside a sum for subjfeidjas-, which would be divided among local bodies on a definite principle. The committee favoured the adoption of the New South Wales system regarding subsidies, and recommended that local bodies be authorised to invest sinking funds through their own commissioners, excepting loans granted by the Government Advances Board. The committee was of opinion that the sanction of the Local Government Board should not be necessary before a loan is obtained ; that powers to borrow should be limited only by the vote of the ratepayers; and that local loans be obtainable from the State Guaranteed Department, but, failing an advance of loans by that Department, loans should be admissible from elsewhere.

The Hospitals and Education Committee reported regarding hospitals that Part 9 be deleted from the Bill, the present Act with minor amendments being satisfactory, and recommended to the Department the admissibility of altering boundaries, of placing upon the estimates a sufficient sum annually to cope with consumption, of establishing receiving homes for mental incipient cases in large centres, of charging to mental

uthorities the treatment of habitual rcebriates and of amending the Des-

titute Persons Act

Regarding education tiio committee recommended that Part 10 of the Bill be eliminated, and that the Minister should consider the improvement of boundaries, the question of subsidies for technical and manual training and secondary work, and asks that the

result of such inquiries be communicated to the boards before any amendment to the law is made. The counties, road, and town boa7-ds committee, proceeding on the assumption that the proposed provincial districts lie abolished, .recommended that all domain boards within counties lie vested in county councils or municipalities; that the present dual system be retained, and that a poll be taken for merging j'oad hoards into counties; that town districts with a population of over 500 ho formed into boroughs, and under 500. bo merged into counties; that cemetery boards be treated similarly 1,0 road boards; that river drainage and water supply districts operating within the confines of a couaty be abolished; that where there is no liarhour hoard the county council -lioulcl exercise those duties; that the number of counties be reduced; that the present system of county franchise and ridings representation be retained; that a uniform system of accounts he adopted for local bodies; that the present system of triennial elections be retained.

The finding of the committee that a local government board bo set up was thrown out on the voire:?. ■ A discussion arose over a query, which originally emanated from the Minister, as to whether the sanction of the local government board—or in event of it not being set up by the Governor-in-Council —should bo necessary before a loan was obtained. The committee decided to 'sanction no works not necessary. Mr Russell informed the conference that lie was not prepared to accept the responsibility of limiting the bor rowing power of local bodies. Mr Parr (Auckland) thought that it was useless passing a motion •'"ruling a general restriction of borrowing powers, without stating what rial restriction should he. He held :Kit while the voting on a loan ,>ropi)sil was frequently very small, lie had always taken the apathy so disp! tyed to mean a general approval of the proposal.

Clause 8, sub-clause 1, of the committee's finding—that the sanction of the leeal government heard he necessary before a loan is obtained—was thrown out by the conference. The balance of the report was then adopted, except clause 7, which nas held over for later consideration. The report of No. 2 committee w.;s considered and adopted .vitlioat clauses 3 and I, which were held over For further consideration. The proposal to set up a committee of inquiry to decide which road boards adjoining cities or boroughs are ui,necessary was carried on the voices. The conference approved of the county system of control in other districts. The clause relating to triennial elections, Which it was recommended, should apply to all local bodies, all elections to be held on the same day. was adopted. Dealing with the report of the hospitals committee, Mr Russell said

that he was of opinion that the Government should at once tackle the question of the white plague. In future, lady and gentlemen medical officers would examine the children of tiie schools from a health point of view. The Government hoped thereby to trace the source of consumption, with the idea that parents may be in'ormed of the health conditi ns of bh.t! children so that they 'night be isolated if necessary. The Minuter lalso favoured the institution of a home for those suffering from temporary mental aberration. He explained that some cases which were : pally temporary now became povnaliont- through being brought into contact, and forced to remain n ith confirmed mental defectives. Dr. Collins (Gisborne) Made an earnest plea for the centralisation of lu spitals, pointing out the ad.infagcs accruing from such a cours? of procedure. The committee's report w;„s then adopted. All th<> reports were then adopt'-d with minor amendments. The Prime Minister than iced the <\ 'egates for the close ■ staidv they bar' given to their subjects. The delegates thanked the Minister in charge of the conference for tin* excellent manner in which he hat! conducted the conference, one delegate stating that it was gratifying to kiow that Parliamentary grants would be put on a more equitable system than heretofore. He cummented on the invariable tact of the Minister in charge. Mr Russell, replying, said that the conference had attended to r s dut:es in a thorough manner, and Par hanent might, with advantage, take a lesson from the manner in ••• inch the conference had been conducted fie informed the conference that he had decided that counties must be enlarged. Instead of having as now 130 counties, there should be only some forty or fifty. Mr Russell then declared the conference olos id, tho delegates singing the National An-

li,cm and <<.i\ing three cheer* For Mr Itussoli and the Prime Mn -,'er.