FAIR TAXATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 12

FAIR TAXATION.

EFFORT TO FIND NEW SYSTEM COMMITTEE APPOINTED. BASIS FOE LOCAL BODIES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. Important decisions concerning local body taxation and the rating of urban farm lands were reached at a meeting m Wellington to-day of the executive of the Municipal Association. In announcing the results to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, the Mayor of Feilding, Mr. C. E. Taylor, said a special committee had been appointed to investigate the question of local body taxation and revenue in New Zealand. The personnel of the committee was as follows: Messrs. M. F. Luckie, deputy-Mayor of Wellington; G. A. Lewin, town clerk, Dunedin; P.. Skog lund, town clerk, Stratford; W. J. Rogers, Mayor of Wanganui; T. Jordan, Mayor of Masterton; J. O'Shea, city solicitor, Wellington; and C. E. Taylor, Mayor of Feilding. "The questions concerned In the inquiry are due for review," said Mr. Taylor. "We desire to find a system of taxation that will be fair for the whole Dominion and for all classes of ratepayers. The committee which the executive has to-day appointed to go into the matter will meet from time to time in Wellington to see if it can bring forward to the association's next conference proposals designed to place local body taxation on a better basis." "It seems to be a very good move," said the Minister. Mr. Taylor paid the executive would forward to the Minister within a fortright a special report setting out what legislative action it considered necessary regarding the rating of urban farm lands. The association asked that the report be given legislative effect. At the meeting it had been decided to urge that councils be allowed to give relief up to 40 per cent, instead of 30 per cent, as proposed originally, and that the area affected be reduced below the three acres proposed, if the local body decided by resojutiontogivo relief, "In such case 3 - the

association is desirous of giving relief," 1 said Mr. Taylor, "but we do not desire a full classification of our boroughs, to give relief to a number of ratepayers." Another new suggestion of the executive was that the decisions of councils could be reviewed by a tribunal, consisting of either a magistrate alone or a magistrate and two assessors, whose decisions would be final. The Minister: Was that a unanimous decision of your conference? Mr. Taylor: Yes. And a second resolution was carried condemning the . bill promoted last year. The Minister said lie wa3 glad Mr. Taylor had dealt with the question. Some form of rating relief was absolutely essential. The representations of the conference would receive the fullest consideration.