PAYMENT OF RATES

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 144, 15 March 1934, Page 7

PAYMENT OF RATES

Position of the Crown LOCAL BODIES’ CLAIM Holding that the Crown should pay rates to local bodies in the same way as private individuals and firms did, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop (Mayor of Wellington), president of the Municipal Association of New Zealand, made a statement on the subject on behalf of the executive at the association’s annual meeting yesterday. The executive had decided to co-oper-ate with the New Zealand Counties’ Association with a view to presenting a united case to the Government, he said, and with this end in view the members of the emergency committee met the executive of the Counties’ Association and discussed the whole question. A joint statement wiis drawn up and presented to the Government. This statement, after setting out the position as determined by decisions of the court, made the following! submissions— That the Crown should be in exactly the same position as a private mortgagee in regard to the payment of rates on properties mortgaged to it. and that legislation to this effect should be introduced without delay.

As regards properties occupied by the Crown or its departments, it was considered that properties occupied by departments exercising direct Governmental functions, such as the Justice Department, Marine Department, Post and Telegraph Department, etc., should remain exempt from rates. On the other hand, properties owned by trading departments, such as the State Fire, Government Insurance, and Slate Coal Departments, and the Public Trust Office, should pay all rates. In the case of purely Governmental departments, these should pay for services rendered. As regards occupation by servants of the Crown, if they occupy the actual departmental buildings used by the Crown, such as in the case of a postmaster, it was submitted that the rates should not be paid. If. on the other hand, an independent building is occupied. as in the case of postal officials and railway officials, the rates should be paid. The Minister had promised to give the representations ins careful con; sideratiom but did not think that any legislation would be introduced until after the whole question had been investigated by the proposed local body commission.