NATIVE RATES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11955, 27 May 1933, Page 4

NATIVE RATES

WAJAPU COUNTY’S LOSSES

£20,000 IN NINE YEARS

IXTERESTIXG EVIHENCE BEFORE COMMISSION.

in the course of bis address to the Native Laud Rating Commission at To Puiu, dir. J. S. Nugent, legal adviser to the Wuiapu County Council, pointed out- that the council in tile last nine years bad waived £20,000 in native rates. The consolidation scheme being nc.w practically completed, the ' council submitted . that the natives should now too the line and pay tlieir rates. The old spirit of compromise was still prevalent with the native owners, but that must now be abolished and statutory rights given to the council ,to enforce payment, even to the selling of their lands, if necessary. Mr. Nugent dealt with the “very cumbersome’' procedure for the collection of native rates, and strongly urged that it should be made the same that applicable to Europeans.

“HOSTILITY” OF JUDGE. “Lust year the council lodged 660 applications for charging orders in irespect of the arrears of rates since 1930,” said Mr. Nugent. “These figures alone (trill give some idea of the problem up here. When we came to prosecute these applications, we Were met with hostility by the judge of the Native Land Court. Where possible, the applications were adjourned or stood down, and dually the Court refused to deal iwith 1-1 S applications. Efforts were made to have these applications dealt with at a later Court last April, but again we have here a letter from the Court saying the Court cannot deal with the applications. 1 say right now, without fea.r of contradiction, that there is no legal reason lor the Court to hold up these applications”. The peculiar point was that in quite a number of those very applications the natives had made payments on account, and in some cases had discharged their debt. It would thus ho seen that it was essential and necessary to give councils the right to have the matter dealt with by .the Magistrate’s Court, an impartial tribunal.

NATIVE MINISTER’S PROPERTY. “In passing,” said Mr. Nugent, “I might add that one charging order, at that very Court at" Tikitiki, (was obtained over the home of tho Nativo Minister. Tho humour of having to obtain his consent to have his own property vested in the Nativo Trustee for sale will no doubt appeal to you. It seems quite absurd' that the Native Minister should havo any say in tlio matter whatever. He is a very interested party in a- lot of land along the Coast.” The judge of tho Court , had also to sit in judgment in cases where tlio board of which he wa s also president was the mortgagee of lands the subject of application lor charging orders,

The natives to-dav made lull use of 'tlfe -roads,' bridges and other conveniences provided by tlie county councils, nfnd ‘their, lands should bear tlio- burden of costs and' upkeep in tlio samo manner as European land, and \ tlio remedies against defaulters should he tlio same.

Tlio report of the commission will not be available for some . months.