The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1931. RATING SYSTEMS.

Evening Star, Issue 20778, 28 April 1931, Page 8

The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1931. RATING SYSTEMS.

The cause of rating on unimproved values has inspired some weird- and wonderful advocacy on tho part of tho Otago Labour Representation Committee. Wo accused Mr Silverstono. its chief spokesman, of arguing on the principle of Humpty Dumpty in ‘ Wonderland ' when ho said : “ When L use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.’', "Without accepting (or disproving) tho indictment, Mr Silverstonq saw no manner of a reflection in it. “Even if this wore so,’’ he rejoined, “ it is preferable to being in a position of not knowing tho moaning of words.” If Mr Silvcrstone cannot seo the inappropriateness of Humpty Dumpty’s method to a serious controversy, it is beyond our powers to show him. But the letters we have published from the executive of tho Labour Representation Committee have, as examples of reasoning, been still- more remarkable. “ Think Before You Leap ” gave us a letter, arguing at some length against its fetish. The reply of the executive began: “ ‘Think Before You Leap’ tries to make tbo people believe that the system of rating is the cause of our present depression.” What this conclusion from a perfectly lucid letter was based upon we are at a loss to think. The supporter of the “ status quo ” could do no more than ask his readers, in astonishment, to compare his original letter with the professed reply to it. Now tho executive comes bade to tho charge and says: “ ‘Think Before You Leap ' appears to us to have given up tho ghost. Ho now attempts to throw further dust in the eyes of the doctors by saying ‘ tho reason why so much support has been given to the unimproved value system of rating up till now is because of the gross exaggerations and veiled misrepresentations ol its advocates.’ ” Apparently to the executive’s mind there was nothing wildly incongruous between the terms of “Think Before You Leap’s” letter and tho conclusion which it drew from it, though we gasped, for mu own part, when we read the conclusion. Tlio grotesque idea that “ tho system of rating is tho cause of our present depression ” was confined, so far as wc can recall, to one of the executive’s own supporters, “Progress,” who has censed, for some weeks past, to add to the gaiety of our columns. Our surprise at “Think Before You Leap’s" protest is that he should have modified his reproach ot “ misrepresentations ” with the word “veiled.” But wo have no thought that they were intentional misrepresentations. Tho simple fact is that the Representation Committee in this discussion has got into waters 100 deep for it. It believes that rating on the unimproved value ought to ho a good thing for Dunedin or any other place in the world, irrespective of general conditions

or stage of development, because the name of that system has always been one of the shibboleths of Labour, loss for the system’s own sake than ior theories it is wrapped up with. If its slogan was made “ Death to gardens,” which is its real meaning, it would have less chance of attracting converts. Wo draw attention to two letters in today’s issue which are more to the point, as concerning this issue, than most, that have appeared. They are those of “ A New Zealand Mother ” and of Dr Riley. " Worker’s ” answer is also to the point, but we leave that to bo answered by Mr Silvorstone. The executive of the O.L.R.C. in its latest epistle writes; "Wo give concrete examples of where they have adopted it [unimproved rating], and are well satisfied.” Two of the latest places to adopt it wore the Mount Albert borough (April 27, 1927) and Mount lloskill road district (May 7, 1927), and they have just taken "a very early opportunity of going back to the old system—early because the law compels a three years’ trial at whatever cost before there can bo reversal. Of five similar polls taken within a few months recently three favoured a return to the rating on capital values. Yet in Mount Albert there was a large majority for the unimproved method when it was carried —2,051 to 941. Its opponents at the first poll wore evidently asleep. On the analogy of other places Dunedin ratepayers will pay £5,000 more a year as a first price for their whistle if it is adopted here. There is three months’ delay in getting othe valuation from the Government as compared with municipal valuing, which means three months’ working on bank overdraft, making a cost of £O,OOO, to be added to the rate. On the basis of the present system that, would mean an increase of one penny in the pound. Hut, though that would bo the first, it would probably bo the least disadvantage of a change.