RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11377, 13 September 1902, Page 9

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES.

TO THE SDITOR or THE press.

S_-,.--Aocoi_aig to promise I send you » list of esses in which. r_tep&yers wiE have their rates _4~re_eed in t_e Riccarton Road District if tbe ratepayea adopt the B cw system of rating on unimproved values. Last week I attempted to chow how the system would be an advantage to the majority of tbe "well-to-do" community. Since then I have had a conversation with a gentleman who pointed out that under the old system of rating on capital values, a number of properties were con—nnally increasing in value, this being brought about by the erection of houses, etc., thereon. So the requhrments of the Road District, which naturally mcreases year by year, were met by the extra rates which are derived from new dwellings. In the case of the new system, the ,r-_ng being on the number of acres, and as the area cannot be -jcreased year by year, the Tjatural consequence is, that as the wants of t_e Road District increases the rates are more per acre. In my letter last week I stated that five f_rt_ings in the pound en _oimproved values would raise about £35 less than three-f.-things in the pound on capital values in tho whole dostriot. Therefore, I think I had better quote 2d in the pound in the f ollowme farms:-—

" ' . ' R_ieaf2d Area. Value of im- Present on ununpiovementa. Rates. proved a. r. p. &«• d. £s. d. £a. d. 308 318 255 0 0 88 17 U 88 6 a fii 231 555 0 0 19 3 9 46 10 10 .89 0 0 440 0 0 1118 1 28 18 42 8-9 230 0 0 99 1 23 510 34 329 300 0 0 44 4 815 0 I find the following li*st would be too long to quote rates for all Government «sttlements. The following is for Ka.Tmn.ni, Harewood Road: — _■ .. Rate of 2dm the £ Aiea. Present rates, on unimproved - Value. a. r P. £s. d. £9. d--100 0 112 0 8 12 0 10 0 0 2 8 81 4 8 8 .0 0 0 111 4. 4 8 8 5 0 0 0 16 31 2 8 6 6,1 14 0 18 7J 9 9 8 Yomw,atc., __ g pHJLparr - St. Albans, September 11th, 1902.