LOCAL BODY REPORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 272, 17 November 1945, Page 3

LOCAL BODY REPORT

COUNTY CHAIRMAN’S VIEW

SUGGESTIONS APPROVED Taken generally. *recommendations and criticisms made by the Select Committee in its report to Parliament appeared to be very fair and impartial and should result in a step further in the development of local body government, stated the chairman of the Wanganui County Council, Cr. A. H. Collins, at the monthly meeting yesThe chairman added that In view of the comprehensive nature of the report, and its importance to local bodies, he had prepared a report containing a summary of the salient points which were of special interest to counties. These covered questions of local body amalgamation, harbour boards, ratinEr systems, local authority loans, valuations, electricity charges, subsidies to counties, hospital rating, elec'ions and the proposal to set up a local government commission. AMALGAMATION QUESTION

"The report has made recommendations concerning the several types of local bodies and affirms that the guiding principle should be community of interest, but not general amalgamation for the purpose of eliminating smaller local bodies,” the chairman stated. "In dealing with counties it has said that in some cases urbanised areas adjacent to boroughs should be included in the borough area, and in some cases smaller counties could with advantage be amalgamated among themselves or be absorbed by larger counties. The report indicated that there are too many hospital boards and that steps should be taken immediately to amalgamate six in the North Auckland area.

"Where power boards are too small to operate efficiently they should be amalgamated with larger boards and rabbit boards, in general, should be abolished and taken over by the county councils. A similar decision was recommended in the case of drainage and river boards, but in the case of rabbit and the drainage and river boards the report states the decision as to which boards should go should be left to the Local Government Commission to decide. "The report also states that there is ap ressing need for a thorough overhaul of harbour board facilities of the Dominion, particularly the smaller ports, and that there is evidence that some readjustment of the boundaries of harbour districts should be effected. ELECTRICITY CHARGES

"A matter of importance to many settlers in this county is the recommendations dealing with electricty charges,” the chairman added. "While it is admitted, states the report, that it is not possible to charge one price to all types of consumers, it is considered that ultimately there should be one schedule of charges to operate throughout lhe whole of the Dominion. The report states that the guarantee system, whereby rural consumers have to guarantee at leasi 15 per cent, of the cost of reticulation, is unfair to those consumers and recommend.: that the suggestion for a ruraj reticulation subsidy scheme should be implemented. The basis of this scheme is that all electric supi authorities and the Hydro-electric Department would pay a small percentage of their revenue into a central fund which would be used for the subsidi ing of lines of low consumer density. I hope that the day is not far distant when further reticulation will be carried out ip the back-country districts.

"After a thorough survey of the present situation, the report state that it. is suggested that the present maximum sta utory rate subsidy of £2500 be cancelled and that in future county councils be paid a subsidy of pound for pound, as funds permit, for the maintenance and con true! ion of all county roads, other than highways. It. is admitted that at the present time the main highways funds may nol be able to face up to this added expenditure, but with the restoration of norma] economic conditions, there should be a considerable increase in the amount of funds available to the Main Highways Board. "In regard to those countie * which have raised loans for work which was carried out on what are now State highways, the report recommends, as a matter of equity that the unexnired liability in connection with these leans should be immediately taken over by the Main Highways Board.

The report also says that the commis ion is not convinced that the most efficient method of actual maintenance and construction, is for the Main Highways Board to carry out the work. It is pointed out that many counties have the heavy machinery and facilities available for major construction works and in some cases this machinery is not fully occupied at the pro. ent lime. CO-OPERATION SOUGHT "Despite this fact the Main Highways Board frequently brings in its own plant and equipment to construct and maintain roads which could very well be constructed and maintained by the county, as agent of the Main Highways Board. ' It is therefore thought that the co-operation which occasionally obtains between the counties and the Main Highways Board should be further extended. The grants which are made from time to time by the Public Works Department are to remain and no alteration in the present system of subsidising work done on main highways i> recommended.

"The provision of this section of the report appear to me to have a lot to commend them,” the chairman stated. He ako paid a tribute to the assistance given by the county clerk, Mr. S. L. Orr, in the preparation of the report. “I take it that we can’t do anything about this report, in lhe meantime,” said Cr. T. Mitchell. The Select Committee’s recommendations had been tabled in the House and presumably the next s ep would be early consideration by the Government. Cr. Mitchell complimented the chairman on his summarised report. Cr. L. A. Mackintosh said the committee’.-- original report was very detailed. but copies could be obtained for 3s (id each. He suggested that one be supplied to each councillor.

The chairman: It contains more han 200 pages. Cr, Mitchell: You did very well in ;o ting a summary into five pages. The county clerk said there was a

wealth of detail in the Select Committee’s report and much statistical da’a of value to local bodie . Cr. Mackintosh’s suggestion was adopted and the chairman’s report was received,