CROWN RATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 69, 22 March 1934, Page 9

CROWN RATES.

ONE TREE HILL POSITION

"SHOULD MEET LIABILITIES."

"The Crown should meet its liabilities the same as anybody else on properties other than such buildings as post offices and railway stations. If they were ordinary private owners or mortgagees there would not be the same large sum, which amounts to ljd in the £, to be written off as uncollectable rates on Crown properties," said Mr. I. J. Goldstine, Mayor of One Tree Hill, at the meeting of the council last evening. In the One Tree Hill borough the uncollectable rates on Crown properties were reported to total £367. Earlier in the year Crown rates and penalties amounting to £577 were written off, making a total loss for the year of £845, equivalent to a rate of lid in the £. Of this total, current rates represent £247, water rates £70, and arrears and penalties £627. Current municipal rates due are £231, and arrears £102. Penalties, costs and water rates account for the remainder of the uncollectable rates.

Mr. Goldstine reported that the question was reviewed by the recent Municipal Association conference, and representations had already been made to the Government. Local authorities, he said, should view with some alarm the increasing amount of rates on Crown properties, whieli were uncolleetable. It wa3 now hoped, however, that the Crown would realise its responsibility to local bodies and grant some considerable relief in that direction.