County Association

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20602, 1 November 1941, Page 8

County Association

Sir. — A paragraph in the Herald has told us that yet another local body organisation is to meet “for the purpose of discussing problems.” The sub-association of the Counties Association embracing the six East Coast counties is referred to. What the ratepayers want is that our local bodies find a solution for the difficult problems facing them and 1 that they, will apply the remedy when discovered. Why, for instance, has the unimproved value of land in Cook and Waikohu Counties fallen by £700,000 since 1935? And what steps would 'this new body advocate to prevent a further loss of land values? The Dominion secretary of the Farmers’ Union says, “For several years prices of produce have been more or less stationary while costs and charges have risen steadily. When this happened the real value of land obviously decreased.” Will tine new association back up Mr. A. P. O’Shea in this contention? Would the abolition of the land tax help many armors to reduce costs. Tt.U.V.