The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY MAY 28th 1912. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 28 May 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY MAY 28th 1912. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL.

Tho recent conference in Wellington on the Local Government Bill has made it tolerably clear that the measure is a quite unworkable one, and that the system which it sought to establish would prove even loss satisfactory than the one under which local bodies are now working. Tiio Hon. C. W. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs, in his opening address, told the Conference that the leading feature of the measure, so far as policy proposals were concerned, was that for the establishment of Provincial Councils, to iwhich it was proposed to hand over the control of harbours, education and hospital and charitable aid administration. In common with many other delegates, who pointed out the impossibility of this change, Mr W. Hatha way, Chairman of the Stratford County Council, made several telling points, and in combatting the idea of the Provincial Council put the case well from his own and Stratford's viewpoint. He told the Conference of the excessive cost of metal, which in our county costs from 5s 6d to ]ss per yard on the roads, and how the indebtedness of Stratford County, principally owing to the great cost of road-making, now amounted to nearly £2l per head of the population, the loan money raised for public works totalling over £129,000. As he pointed out, if a Provincial Council were set up with power to rate as provided by the Bill, and this Council decided to rate up to the limit allowed, it might mean something like 1.5 s per acre per annum in rates for portions of the County. Though the industry of the people produces a great deal, the district is by no means a rich one, and if such taxation were imposed, ?.Ir Hathaway expressed the opinion that it would drive eight-tenths of the people off the land. Dealing with subsidies at one stage of the proceedings, tho Minister for Internal Affairs was compelled to admit that the system was on wrong lines ,and he went so far as to say that where roads had to be constructed at great expense, or maintained under exceptional difficulties that the subsidy should be greater than that . granted to more favoured districts. The Hon. Mr Russell spoke of the New South Wales system with its four gradations of subsidy to local bodies, heavier subsidy being granted according to (he cost of upkeep with due consideration of the amount of rate struck and the burden borne by tho ratepayers of a district. One rather important point in County administration on which the Conference appears to have been pretty unanimous was that Hiding representation remain as al present, but that it should be optional to keep Ruling accounts if so desired. It will be remembered that this same point caused the Stratford County Council a good deal of anxiety, and evoked a great deal of discussion a few years ago, when it was discover-

ixl an illegal act had been performed in keeping Hiding accounts lor the convenienco and proper c<.i:dr.H ul the ratepayers' business, i hough the Bill has been torn to pieces, Llterc can lie little doubt I<i: 1 v.hat good lias been done by the nicotine 'if delegates in at least indicating uomc of tin; directions in which reform may reasonably be effected.