COUNTY RATING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 5

COUNTY RATING

RIDING ACCOUNTS

The affairs of two counties in Gisborne district occupied some of. the time of the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon when the Public Petitions Committee reported on a petition from several ratepayers of Waikohu County asking for relief from a burden imposed by the, abolition of riding accounts. The same Committee j had also considered ;.a petition from over 100 ratepayers of Cook County praying for" an investigation into certain matters connected, with the county Ifa each case the Committee made no recommendation,"', as the matters related to policy. 5 * : It was -pointed; out during the discussion that the abolition of riding ac-i counts had thrown an extra rating burden on the valuable flat lands of the counties, while hill country, which was deteriorating, was being relieved. Mr. A G.Hultquist (Government, Bay of Plenty) stated that the rates of Cook County flat lands increased by 48 per cent, through the change, and that this meant practically a rental of £1 per acre. The county maintained that this was largely: due to higher costs following the Government's legislation. Mr. D. W. Coleman (Government, Gisborne) declared that some of the increased costs were justifiable, be? cause Cook County was paying . its labourers Is 6d per hour until the Gov- ! eminent changed the law, when the Arbitration Court awarded these workers 2s 4d per hour, , ■ ',': The Committee' 3' reports were adopted. . . - ■.'. y. ..' •. ...