LOCAL BODIES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3809, 16 September 1936, Page 5

LOCAL BODIES

COUNTIES’ ASSOCIATION APPROVES AMALGAMATION. SMALL BODIES SHOULD COME FIRST. Approval of the amalgamation of' local bodies where economies could be effected without loss or efficiency and. the establishment ol a Commission ot Inquiry to provide an impartial investigation was given at a recent meeting ol the executive of the New Zealand Counties’ Association. The association also emphasised that as a first step the merging of small administratve bodies operating within counties might well be effected. In a supplied report the association states that according to the 1936 Official Year Book, the number ol active local bodies at March 31, 1935, was 679, which included both urban ami rural organisations. The rural organisations which may be affected in the process of amalgamation are: County councils 125, rabbit boards 59, land drainage boards 52, river boards 44, electric power boards 41, town boards (dependent) 26, road boards 16; total 363. Because of the duplication of staff and plant, the association considered that some economies could be effected in the absorption of the minor local bodies, such as raboit boards, drainage boards, river boards and road boards. The following table sets out the number of administrative staff, together with their salaries, in the rural boards:—

When internal absorption of the minor bodies was completed, 256 staff employees earning £21,734 per annum would appear to be affected, but as many of these would be absorbed by the controlling authority in each county the economies would probably fall far short ol what plight be expected. Members of the executive were emphatic in stating that local bodies would not make any amalgamation move ot their own accord, hence an investigation by some impartial committee was necessary to bring the whole of the local bodies into line. About four years ago the association asked all county councils to discuss the matter of amalgamation as It would affect each county. A general summing-up of these discussions indi cated that internal amalgamation should proceed first, while the smallei counties were decidedly opposed to external amalgamation. During the executive meeting it was pointed out that section 2 of the Countie:,’ Amendment Act provided for the amalgamation of counties if (a) the county councils of the counties proposed to be united had passed a special order recommending that the counties should be united so as to form one county; and (b) a commission recommended that any counties be united to form one county.

Yea r ended March 31, 1930. Staff. Salaries. County councils 509 151,561 Rabbit board?. 5 5 5,569 Land drainage boards 74 5,199 River board:. 58 7,657 Electric power boards 511 119,925 Dependent town boards 34 2,263 Road boards 35 5,744 1,276 297,918 Year ended March 31, 1935. Staii. Salaries. County councils 555 136,237 Rabbit boards 62 3,430 Land drainage boards 56 4,249 River boards 57 8,351 Electric power boards 511 121,354 Dependent town boards 35 2.438 Road boards 29 3,266 1 ,305 275,325