RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 53, 4 March 1901, Page 2

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—As one of the people who signed tha ~'', requisition for a poll on this important question, I should like to know, now.that ■ the required number been obtained, why the poll is not demanded? Every year the city valuer puts up the values OH' property, especially cottages. Cottage property is now much more heavily taxefl than any other class of property in \he city. The working man is being taxed to death. A cotta-ge that was. valued at £3$ ; last yea^ cost me in repairs, taxes, etc., ">' £19 9/fi, leaving about 4 per cent, on capital value. This year the same house is raised to £22 rateable value, and thd||j house wants a "new roof. How am I t(> ;" live? This is not an exceptional in- • stance. I could give 'several others, but will not take up your valuable space. Is there no way to improve matters? Ar6. . we to be bled to death? —I am, etc., . ;''■ Sang A VICTIM.

(To the Editor.) .-,.:>;' : Sir,—Permit me to draw attention'to a,' notice which appeared in your Issue of "■ February 26th, 1901, emanating, from the Grey Lynn Borough Council, stating that i a poll of the ratepayers will be taken oh ,\:i 20th March, 1901, for the purpose of rating on unimproved values, and stating that , ,'j the hours of polling at the Council Ch,an> ber are between 9 v.m. ai?d 6 p.m. There has evidently been an oversight here,, as i the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, Division 2, Part 4, Clause 29, reads as * follows: "The poll shall commence at nine o'clock in forenoon oC the day appointed for the same, and shall'close at seven o'clock in the afternoon of the same day." The Council should therefore at once,, [ take steps to notify the ratepayers of the fact that' there has been an error in the notice of the ,2(Jth "February. Seeing that", a poll.will be taken in Grey Lynn Borougii on the 20th inst., it now behoves every i ratepayer in that borough to see to it that | his or her name is placed upon the rate* I payers' roll. As some doubtless will vote for the proposal to rate on unimproved values, and some will vote against It,* I think it would serve a useful purpose at the present juncture if the Ratepayers' Association would call a public meeting, in St. George's Hall for, say, Monday, 18tn j inst., to discuss the situation. My excuse for trespassing upon your valuable space is that the question is a public one.—Lam, etc., GEORGE J. GARLAND, Ist March, 1901.. . ■ ;