Committee To Plan Action Opposing Maori Rent Rise

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 July 1950, Page 4

Committee To Plan Action Opposing Maori Rent Rise

A course of action in opposition to the present move by the Maori Trustee again to increase the annual rental paid by leaseholders in the business area of Greymouth, is to be prepared by a committee representing major leaseholders and submitted to a public meeting. This was the decision reached last evening at a meeting of 30 major leaseholders convened by the Mayor, Mr F. F. Boustridge. The committee set up comprises the Mayor and Messrs J. W. Hannan, F. A. KitcriinghamfW. D. Taylor, W. E. Steer and R. J. Truman. This committee will convene a public meeting' as soon as it has prepared its recommendations.

Efforts to curb a threatened increase of rentals about two years ago, resulted in leaseholders’ representatives agreeing to a four per cent increase on the existing Government valuations. Now, however,, a new valuation of borough properties is being prepared by the Government Valuation Department, whose officers are already working in various parts of the town, and the proposal by the Maori Trustee is for a cent, increase on the new valuations. If this view of the trustee of the 1948 amendment to the Land Valuation Act is maintained, it is held, increases from. 300 to 500 per cent will follow. ~ ~ At last evening’s meeting it was explained that the move would result in householders who now pay an annual rental of £2 being asked for £lO. The last increase, it was pointed out, had, in typical cases, raised the rental on an Albert street property from £4 8s to £2O 18s and on a Tainui street property from £l5 to £5O, and these rentals would be liable to be increased again if the present move was not arrested.