LOCAL BODY COSTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 8

LOCAL BODY COSTS

GOVERMENT INTENDS TO INSTITUTE INQUIRY OVERLAPPING OF ADMINISTRATION MUST CEASE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 12. Local body government is a question to which the Prime Minister hopes to give close attention at an early date. When he made his economy statement in February last, Mr Forbes stated that the Government proposed to set up a commission to go fully into the incidence of local bodies taxation. With many other pressing and urgent calls on his time of late, however, Mr Forbes has found little opportunity to deal with the matter, but in answer to an inquiry, he indicated that the Government was anxious to make an inquiry as soon as possible. What form the inquiry will take, Mr Forbes is not yet able to say. “The Department dealing with local bodies will naturally take some part in the inquiry,” said Mr Forbes. “Amalgamation has been advocated where local authorities are operating over the same district, and no doubt a reduction in overhead expenses will benefit the ratepayers. It seems that this could be brought about by amalgamation. “Taking the local bodies as a whole, they are operating very satisfactorily, but these are times when costs in every direction have got to be investigated to see what cutting down can be made to relieve the taxpayer.”