AUCKLAND RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 3 February 1899, Page 8

AUCKLAND RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION.

The executive of the Ratepayers' Association met last evening in the Alexandra-street' schoolroom. The president (Mr C. J. Parr), presided, 'i lie Chairman said that Air Gulliver the city valuer, had written a letter to the Council purporting to be a reply to the letters of the association. As the city valuer's letter he considered, contained several misstatements, it: was necessary that the association should write to the Council pointing oui the true state of affairs. In the first place, there was no charge that all the valuations mentioned by the association were under vuluations, though Mr (iulliver endeavoured to make it appear so. The object of the association was to contrast different values, and show that they were absolutely inconsistent, and could not stand side by side. The letters of the association would clearly show this. Mr (iulliver had also endeavoured to umke a point of there being- only 35 valuations mentioned by the association. Hut the truth was that, these were only a few selected here and t'.cie from the roll, and the association had not pretended to make any exhaustive examination of the roll. If it had done so, there was no doubt it coiild supply the Council with many more instances of valuations quite inconsistent and inadequate. The association was prepared, if the Council so desired, to furnish numerous other cases of unsatisfactory valuations. Itegurding1 the hotels, there was the fact that Mr Gulliver could not deny that nearly all his valuations were considerably below those of the Government, and the city was consequently losing a large amount of revenue from this source. Mr Parr (] noted several cases exemplifying1 this.

It was resolved to communicate will) the Council, drawing- attention to the alleged, inaccuracies in the valuer's statement.

City Councillors: The recent action of certain councillors in connection with the .South Ward inquiry and the city valuations was discussed, it was resolved that Ihe actions of these gentlemen should be noted, and if it was felt that they were not doing their duty to ca.ll a meeting of the ratepayers of their ward, and ask the councillors to explain their action, and if unsatisfactory to call upon them to resign. The Il'i re Brigade: The present position of the lire brigade and the appliances for lire suppression was discussed. It was pointed^ out that the plant was utterly inadequate, and that the system of alarms by tirebell did not exist in any other town in Australasia of any importance. The cost to the city was about £1100 a year, while in Dunedin and Christchurch for about the same sum the ratepayers had an up-to-date brigade and plant. Nothing had been done by the Council, though the D.S.C. inquiry 13 months ago. had brought before it the present state of things. It was resolved that the Council be requested to set .up a committee to deal with the matter.