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(</) Rabbit Boards Shortly after the introduction of rabbits into New Zealand it became evident that they were more than a potential danger to agriculture and pastoral lands, and hence in 1876 the Rabbit Nuisance Act was passed to make provision for the destruction of rabbits in New Zealand. Rabbit districts could bo set up with power to contract for the destruction of rabbits and to offer bonuses or rewards for such destruction. The 1876 Act left the initiative with the local residents, but by 1881 a Government Inspector was appointed to supervise rabbit destruction. In 1882 the local board system was abolished, and the administration of the Act left solely in the hands of Inspectors. Four years later, however, the Board system was revived with slight modifications. During the 1914-1918 war the rabbit position became very serious throughout the Dominion, particularly in portions of the North Island. In an attempt to meet the situation drastic provisions were made in the Rabbit Nuisance Act, 1919-20, in respect to control by Rabbit Boards by reducing the area required from 200,000 acres to 2,000 acres, and generally by facilitating control through the formation of Rabbit Boards on the principle that local control by a body elected by the ratepayers would produce better results than could be expected from a purely inspectorial system by Government officers operating over large districts. There were then only three Rabbit Boards —two in the North Island and one in the South Island. Following on the passing of the amending legislation mentioned above, Rabbit Boards were quickly formed, particularly in the North Island. In 1928 the Act was further amended and consolidated in the light of experience already gained. The area for which a rabbit district could be formed and a subsidy drawn on the rates collected was amended to a minimum of 20,000 acres, but the position as to subsidy on rates in respect to Boards already formed comprising smaller areas was retained. Right from the very commencement the Government has subsidized Rabbit Boards pound for pound on all rates collected. Up to the present 96 Boards have been constituted —54 in the North Island and 42 in the South Island. Boards normally consist of five ratepayers elected for the one purpose, and directly interested in effective control. Provision is made for the amalgamation of Boards, and some amalgamations have taken place. The general achievement of the Boards, however, has been very uneven. In some cases Boards have operated very successfully; in other cases they have not taken their work seriously, and have made little impression on the problems at issue. (h) Electric-power Boards With the rapid development of hydro electricity in the Dominion it was necessary to provide for its effective distribution, and in 1918 the Electric-power Boards Act was passed, authorizing the setting-up throughout New Zealand of Electric-power Boards. These Power Boards are not the sole bodies responsible for the retail distribution of electric power in New Zealand, for, as noted elsewhere in this report, many municipalities and some counties still retain the right to generate or distribute electric power in their own territories, but generally in rural areas the distribution of electric power is focused in the Electric-power Board. The experience over the past twenty-five years has proved that they are doing their work very successfully. Whether their territories should be extended and some of the electricity distribution of some of the smaller local authorities taken over by Electric-power Boards is a question which we discuss later in this report. (i) Other There is no necessity to deal in detail with the origin and history of such minor local authorities as Water-supply Boards, Local Railway Boards, City and Suburban Drainage Boards, and suchlike. Their titles indicate generally the reasons for their constitution. Water-supply Boards in general are concerned with the supply of water in open races in county districts, and are not intended to cover the water reticulation such as is undertaken by municipalities. Local Railway Districts owe their origin to the necessity for transport, particularly for goods, but also for passengers, in an era before the emergence of motor transport. This particular Act was not taken advantage of to any great extent, but in the Manawatu and also in Southland there have been successful Local Railway Boards, the Ohai Railway Board in Southland still being in operation. The Christchurch Drainage Board and the Tramways Board in Christchurch and similar Boards in Auckland were set up because the area over which these particular services operated embraced the territories of more than one territorial local authority, cach of which was liable in certain cases for some portion of the expenditure, and it was desirable to provide for these territorial local authorities concerned having some control in their administration. The Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Board owes its origin to the fact that Pctone and Lower Hutt are contiguous local authorities, and for each to set up its own gas-generating plant would have been wasteful expenditure. CHAPTER lII—THE PRESENT STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT : THE PROBLEM OF AREA The present structure of the local government machine has its roots in the economic and social development of New Zealand. In the previous sections a general outline has been given of those developments, and even the most superficial student will be forced to the conclusion that local government has not proceeded according to any plan, but, like the British Empire, has grown in " a fit of absentmindedness." There has been a tendency to treat each problem in vacuo, with, little attempt to create a properly integrated system of local government. Consequently considerable overlapping and little of that clear-cut definition of " area," which would assist in the promotion of the economic welfare of the community, are evident. This feeling of chaos will be further derived from the next ensuing sections, where an outline of the present structure of local government is set out.

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