CHANGE OF VIEW.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 911, 4 November 1933, Page 15

CHANGE OF VIEW.

Amalgamation of Local Bodies. MR SULLIVAN’S ATTITUDE. “ Star ” Parliamentary Reporter. WELLINGTON, November 3. . A complete reversal of his previous views regarding the compulsory amalgamation of local bodies was announced by Mr D. G. Sullivan in the House today. when he stressed the need for further authority to bring amalgamations about. Mr IT. S. S. Kyle, on the other hand, made it clear that he wanted nothing done which would in any way imperil the existence of the borough of Riccarton as a separate entity. A brief but interesting discussion on this point arose when the Municipal Corporations Bill, which is designed to consolidate and change in some respects the municipal law of the Dominion, was introduced. In reply to Mr Sullivan, the Hon J. A. Young said the measure was a consolidation of the municipal law which had long been needed. Mr Sullivan asked was the measure exactly the same as that introduced last session, and not proceeded with. He was particularly interested in the amalgamation proposals. Mr Young replied that it was not exactly the same Bill. There tvere a few new proposals which the House would be given every opportunity to discuss. The clause relating to amalgamations was substantially the same as in last year’s Bill. Where there was a request for amalgamation a commission would be set up to take evidence and report to the Governor-General, who had power to accept or reject the recommendation of the commission. A reduction of the number of local bodies was a question to which the Government and the House should give special attention, said Mr Sullivan. In the past the tendency had been to leave the question of amalgamation to be settled by local conditions, but that process had' been proved to be very slow because of the difficulty of getting local bodies to surrender their authority. Something more drastic was required. Mr Young; Will you support this Bill? Mr Sullivan: Frankly, last year my answer would have been in the negative. Now I would support it. Mr Kyle: I hope the Minister will not take that too seriously. Mr Armstrong; Afraid of losing your kingdom? “No, I am not afraid of that,” replied Mr Kyle. He referred to the special committee in Christchurch which had been considering the matter for eighteen months, and said it had come to the conclusion that noth ing was to be saved by amalgamation, and that administration of some of the local bodies was cheaper than that of the Christchurch City Council. Mr Sullivan: No! Mr Lee: Poorer services! Mr Kyle: Better services, and lower rates. Mr Barnard: Where is this place? Mr K}Te: If you come to Riccarton I will show you. They have a very good council there and a very good Mayor, although I won’t mention his name. He added that there was more building going on at present in Riccarton than anywhere else. The people were going to live in Riccarton because of the lower rates. Mr Lee: Races or rates? “I know the Mayor of Christchurch wants to control a larger area,” said Mr Kyle. Mr Lee: He would make a better job of it. Mr Kyle: He would make a better Job of it than you. You woull make a "muck of it. You would rule them with a rod of iron. The Mayor of Christchurch wouldn’t handle them like that. The Bill was introduced, read a second time, pro forma, and referred to the Local Bills Committee. The procedure for the amalgamation of boroughs, as set out in the Bill, has been materially altered. The legislation at present disables boroughs to unite after a poll of electors has approved of this proposal, each borough concerned having presented a petition to the GovernorGeneral asking for the proclamation of a united borough. / The new measure deals with the situation which might arise through one of the boroughs in the proposed enlarged area failing to present the necessary petition in favour of amalgamation. In this case the new Bill states that the Governor-General may, if he thinks fit, direct a commission consisting of a Magistrate, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district, and the district valuer to inquire and report, whether the proposed united borough should be constituted. “If the commission reports in favour of the proposal,” continues the new clause, “the Governor-General may, by proclamation, constitute the boroughs affected one united borough, and such •several boroughs shall, on a date to be specified in the proclamation, become and be such one borough accordingly under this Act.”