RATES v. WASTE LANDS.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 110, 10 May 1894, Page 2

RATES v. WASTE LANDS.

♦ TO THK IDITOB. Sir — Your correspondent " Carpenter " ' has evidently hit the ripht nail on the bead re the rating of unoccupied land in tho environs of this and all other cities in New Zealand. I will mention two only out of many hundreds of suoh oases. One is a piece of land in the southern distriot of Wellington, purchased some few years since without roads or street*, and buildings were very spare structures, for abont £150. Sinoe the purchase the ratepayers hare made roads and streets, while others of the community have spent their capital in building and improving until this piece of land is nearly surrounded with good and substantial buildings. Th i consequence of all this is that for a small strip of this land (from the two aores) about 220 feet by a depth of about 110 feet, the owner is asking for leases for 42 years, for the first seven year* £1 per foot, and the rent to rise every seven years, so that this strip he calculates to bring him in abont w£22o per annum. Query— How long will it be before a capitalist will invest, or any man obtain a job on this land? Another case is a person who had not loug since paid 25b per foot for a section of 66 feet, waa offered a few days since £i 10s per foot for it, which be declined, as buildings were poing up all round it. He could see his way in a year or two to get double that amount. 'Why does he delay selling P Because, he cays, he pays the rates, which are a mere nothing, and affect him but little. Now, Mr. Editor, if all these waste lands were rated at the value placed npon them by the owners, I feel sure in a short time there would be very few unemployed artisans to be seen. ,1 am, &o , TJNEOTLOTBD.

Inspector Fender received news to-day that Garrett Barry, an old settler near Blenheim, was found dead in his bed last night. Tub latest afternoon tea ohat is abont those beautiful French pattern bonnets that C. Smith, tha Cash Draper, is selling at such ridiculously low prices. Ladies freely admit that the bonnet he ia selling at 14s 6d and 16s 6d cannot be bought anywhere under 30s to 40s. C. Smith aLso. holds the premier stock of ladies' jackets and mackintoshes. Two eases jackets and one case of maokintoshes have been added to the stook this week. Remember, the motto of the firm is Small profit and quick returns." — Adtt.