COUNTY AMALGAMATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 5

COUNTY AMALGAMATION

THE CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS A BASIS. (Our Own Correspondent.) PATEA, May 10. At the monthly meeting of the Patea County Council, the chairman, Cr. W. G. Belton, reported on the conference of all county council representatives in the No. 8 Main Highways district on May 1 as to the amalgam a-, Lion of counties. Administrative costs in the Patea County were the lowest in the whole district, Cr. Belton stated; and the highest costs were those of the largest county. This disproved the statement that the larger the area the lower the administrative cost. Patea was not the smallest county, Wanganui and Waitotara being smaller. At the conference there was no evidence brought forward why the Patea County should be amalgamated, and that county’s representatives’ view remained unchanged. The only basis for argument was the administrative costs, and Patea’s were sound enough to defeat all argument. Another aspect which had been considered, was the absorption of smaller local bodies in the country into the county council. But so many smaller local bodies were heavily rated to cover large loans, and County Councils would have to investigate the liabilities they were taking over very carefully before incorporating small local bodies. “Amalgamation and incorporation may appear alright, upon the surface, but the deeper the investigation the more involved the proposed movements became. Any move towards these proposals would have to be considered very carefully indeed,” Cr. Belton concluded. The resolution passed at the conference was endorsed by the council.