NOTE OF THE DAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LII, Issue 5476, 11 May 1920, Page 4

NOTE OF THE DAY.

RATING OF NATIVE LAND." The Government does not seem or -dl anxious to amend the law i„ order‘to pi ov»le a reasonably easv method of entorcung pavment of rates °i lands held by Natives. H max bf re called that, two years ago. the Eokianga < ounty Council sent a netition to 1 arliament an the matter.* and rim Lands Committee of the Homo ,-f commended the petition to the Government for favorable consideration In turn that report was sent on to the Native Affair- Committee for considera.ion but nothing further has been ™ the subject. The Hokiamm County Council is again moving j n the matter and in a letter to the Frime Minister points out that duriim the past seven years the rates in resn.-or native lands within its juidskction liave amounted to 3SIL4S3. of wlncli rlie collections have come to onlv v(;~ ■ Here, is the county’s experience as shown in the form ot a table:

“We think.” adds the County Clerk in Jiis latest communication ‘to \tr Massey, “you will admit this is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs es - ' pecially when you consider that the ! natives are on the same footing as Europeans in other respects. For instance. under the present Act. thev could nominate candidates for councillors. and. owing to the large number of them could easily elect a native council to control the county." No reasonable excuse, we think, can be offered bv the government for its tardy handling of this important matter. ‘ It would seem that the Native political element lias just as powerful influence with the present Government as it had with previous Governments.

mu mu Rates £1736 1655 Collected £80 101 191 « 1917 1782 1552 143 71 1918 2037 64 1919 ' ... 2890 177 1929 2831 38