RATES ON TIMBER

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1929, Page 3

RATES ON TIMBER

COUNTY COUNCIL WAIVES LEVY. At two meetings of the Grey County Council prior to that held yesterday there was discussion upon the position which had arisen since a royalty of |d per 100 ft on sawn timber had been substituted for rates charged to sawmille'rs upon standing timber, with particular reference to the fact that the Council’s revenue had been con-1 siderably augmented by the change. In accordance with notice, Cr W. T.J Ogilvie moved ye;sterday afternoon 1 that the levy of |d per 100 ft be not collected this year. A statement show-1 ing the position as it affected various sawmilling firms had been prepared' by the County Engineer and Clerk and circulated among members. In view of what it disclosed Cr Ogilvie considered that the Council could well let the levy go for this year.

The County Clerk, Mr M. Keating, said that the estimated revenue for the year was £22,559, while receipts for the half year amounted to £16,000, so that the revenue was a long way over what had been estimated. The Goldfields revenue was estimated at £6,600 and £5,932 was due already. Halves and Thirds had been set down at £l6OO and £965 was in. With two quarters revenue to come the receipts would be increased by nearly £lOOO. Forests revenue had been estimated at £l2OO, towards which £721 was in, and as for the last quarter over £4OO was due, the first three-quar-ters revenue would exceed the estimate for the year. Royalties had been exceptionally high and the Council was in a good position at the present time. The Bank overdraft was £2827 but against that £2255 was owing by ; the Government, including £lOO5 claimed for earthquake (lamaeß.

The sawmillers, said Cr Ogilvie, did not ask the Council to drop the levy altogether, but not to collect it for this year only. He instanced the case of one miller; who had roughly 2,000,000 feet to cut. On that he would have to pay £2OOO in royalty, of which the Council would get £lOOO. It would be hardly fair to ask the miller to pay another £lBOO on top of that, as the speaker believed that he would not get more than £5OO in excess of that amount.

Cr A. Donnellan seconded the motion, and stated that it was but reasonable that the sawmillers should pay up to the amount which the Council had placed on the estimates. Cr H. G. Carter, as the mover of a previous motion that the levy be reduced from |d to Jd per 100 ft, said that he was prepared to let that proposal go for the present financial year and to support Cr Ogilvie’s motion. Cr J. Mulcare took it that it was understood that the .Council would be entitled to increased revenue from the millers later on as they made great use of the roads for carting. Cr Ogilvie responded that timber people were already paying heavy traffic and petrol taxes as contributions towards maintenance of roads. Cr A. Robinson also supported the motion and mentioned that the timber i)iillers had treated the Council well and had contributed towards and helped to make the roads. The motion was carried without dissent.