The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1882. THE LICENSE FEES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 196, 11 January 1882, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1882. THE LICENSE FEES.

The information conveyed by Major Atkinson to the effect that Publicans' License fees, Dog Tax, and all the other similar sources of revenue open to boroughs, are now payable to town boards under the Town Districts Act, is of more importance than might at first sight appear. In the first place, a severe blow lias been dealt at the county system, iuasmuch as several of the chief sources of income of counties have been taken away. It is also clear that one of the main inducements co towns to become boroughs has been removed, because with the exception of the exemption from county rating, they have little to gain by the change of name. It is, of course, quite useless to lament ovei what has been done. But we venture to express an opinion, that the clause conferring this boon upon town boards was smuggled through in committee without many of the legislators knowing the extent of the change brought about by its enactment. "Whether the general effect of the clause will be good or bail, remains to be seen. But in respect to the collection of the Dog Tax, serious complications are almost certain to arise. Assuming that Manaia and Normanby are declared town districts under the Act, it would then be the duty of each and all of them to impose a Dog Tax, and to appoint a collector in each case. With possibly four different rates of tax within the county the opportunities afforded for trouble would be, uufortunately, only too numerous. The only possible way for such trouble to be avoided, would be for the four local bodieß to meet together, and agree jointly to levy one tax, and to appoint one collector, who could, when recording the tax paid, enter it against the ratepayer's name in favor of that body within whose jurisdiction the tax-payer resided. In the meantime, as there are as yet only two local bodies, they might agree in the first instance; and as the others were formed the County Council might in like manner enter into agreements with them to pay over to each, after they had been constituted their share of any Dog Tax which might be payable to them under the contract made by the Council with the County Co'lector.