SIR JULIUS VOGEL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1124, 4 March 1885, Page 5

SIR JULIUS YOGEL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

'The following, according to the "Uew Zealand Herald, is the full account of what 'Sir Julius Yogel said. on the subject' of local government while speaking at Auckland on the! 7th iustant: — ''Nowylhaveto'refer'to' a question to which a great deal of attention' has been directed — local government question, but I will not at this late period of the evening go into it at .very great length, but I wish to say this— it has been a matter of unceasing thought upon .'my part for ' many weeks past, and I have comedo th'e'conclusion that the local government question really resolves' itself 1 primarily and'.priripipally into , a financial question. I believe that a ( large, organic alteration is not •required., 'I Relieve,' .moreover, that .whafc is most . esseptial is to ascertain what are, the real" feelings and wishes of those who have >now the charge of the local government of ,the Colony— l allude to the Chairmen of the County, Councils and to the Mayors of the various towns; and so impressed am I in regard to my, portion', of the subject— with the necesßity,of obtaining their views, that I .have made up my miud,.,unlesß my colleagues .disapprove of, it-r-that, at any rate, to satisfy myself upon such questions as come within the cognizance of the various departments -which I- hold, that a it wjll be a desirable f.hing to summon a meeting of a.ll the County Chairmen and all; the Mayors of the towns in the Colony, with a view to eliciting from them generally their, .opinions upon what is really required to make more satisfactory the position of local government within the Colony — especially, in relation to its financial aspects. — (Cheers.) I believe we may ascertain fi-onij those w,ho are really concerned in the local government of the country suoh amendments as are required to improve the present system. For my part, I believe that what is principally and primarily require 1 is more certain,, larger, apd more elastic local revenues, so-tfaat local bodies may know wbat means they have to depend upon, and may fashion their works accordingly, instead of depending, as Jbhey have been doing for years past, upon what seems to me has been authorised — that is, a system of benefactions distributed by the Government or the- House, tacoording to a more or less arbitrary pleasure or caprice. What they want is something certain and well-defined, and "I believe we -may ascertain that when wa are able to ascertain their opinion jointly. Moreover, what is very essentially required* is to protect vthe means .which already, to some extent, exist<by which for certain purposes, and not beyond those purposes unless desired, i there may. be a combination; of two or more counties, or between counties and towns, for of- joint interest. . As regards the question' of- renewing the provincial' system, about- which I know a great deal has 'been said, in my opinion it is utterly impossible to do so. The provincial system merely depended upon two things— namely, the land revenue and the power within' the provinces of borrowing large sums of money. Ido not think that a renewal of the provincial government in any sense can be possibly carried out. At the same time, I believe we may enlarge the objects and the scope of looal government, and relieve the central government of some of its functions, and get rid of- the objection which has very .properly been felt, that the general government has much too much power, and the local bodies too little. [Cheers.] •