UNPAID RATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1936, Page 12

UNPAID RATES.

TEN PER CENT PENALTY. RELUCTANCE TO ENFORCE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WHAKATANE, Friday. The Whakatane County Council, in common with many other local bodies, is reluctant to impose the 10 per cent penalty on rates, especially in cases where it is known that farmers are unable to meet their obligations. There was considerable discussion on the question at the last meeting, when various suggestions were made in an endeavour to meet the situation. The chairman, Mr. W. Reid, asked if it would not be possible to make the penalty S per cent in March, and another 5 per ce.nt in September, but the clerk explained that special legislation would be required to enable this t6 be done. Mr. R. Fleming then advanced a. proposal to charge interest on unpaid rates at a little higher,rate than the banks. ThiSj, he thought, would stimulate the payment of overdue rates when the farmer was in a position to do so. The chairman, however, held that the law would not permit of an interest charge and some penalty would be necessary. On the motion of Mr. W. McCracken it was decided to ask the Government to re-enact section 8 of the Finance Act, 1&34-35, to enable local bodies to remit a portion of the rate penalty.