CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 76, 13 March 1913, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

[lt must be distinctly understood thai we are not to be identified with the opinions expressed by correspondents in our columns.] UNIMPROVED VALUES RATIN\ TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I notice that a poll of ratepayers on the question of rating on the unimproved value of land for water rates, lighting rates, sewage rates. Hospital and Charitable Aid Board rates will take place to-morrow (Friday). If this method of rating is carried it will be a great act of injustice to those ratepayers who have small blocks of land in the borough on which they are striving to make a living. Maqy of these blocks of land are, not required for building purposes, and probably will not be used for such in our lifetime, be it 20 or 30 years. Why, then, should they be called on to pay rates for conveniences which they never use or will use for many years I Let those who use the conveniences pay for them. e small land owners have enough burdens placed on us now without more being added, and I urge every one to vote against the proposal.—l am., etc., * Ki HOURS A DAY. Hastings. March 13th. TO THE EDITOR. Sir. —To-morrow, (Friday), the ratepayers will be asked to decide whether or not the water rate is to be struck on the same basis as the other rates. There can scarcely be a difference of opinion that all the rates should be struck on the one basis, indeed had it not been for the imperfect Act in the first place the poll would not have been necessary at all. Hastings is one of the b<.roughs which occupies the proud position of not rating property owners on their improvements and while the actual changing from one system to another appears to he hard on a few the truth of course is that this is only incidental to the change and it would be a good tiling if the principle involved could be adopted without any apparent hardships. With the water rate it will net effect outside residents at all as any property situated more than 100 yards from a main will not pay any rates. It behoves the ratepayers then to roll up if they want all the rates levied on the. one basis. --T am. etc.. RATEPAYER. Hastings. March 13ht. [ln only mentioning water rate. ■ Ratepayer” may lead other ratepayers to think that that rate is tne only one it is proposed to bring under the system of rating on unimproved values. The proposal to be accepted or rejected to-morrow is that the system of rating on the unimproved value be adopted and apply to water rates, electric lighting rates, sewage rates, and hospital and charitable aid rates within the Borough of Hastings.—Ed. H.B.T.j