RATING RELIEF.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 294, 9 November 1934, Page 4

RATING RELIEF.

TOWN AND COUNTY VIEWPOINT.

The 12} per cent, relief given to rural ratepayers was the subject of comment at the Feilcling Borough Council meeting last night, when reference was made by the Mayor (Mr C. E. Taylor) to the telegram he had sent Hon. J. G. Cobbe stressing the claims of tlie city and town ratepayers for consideration in the Government's rating relief proposals. Mr Taylor said he had received the following reply from Mr Cobhc:—“\ r ou will have noticed urban farm lands within tlie meaning of the Urban Farm Land Rating Act have been included in tlie provision. The suggested inclusion of business promises and sections in the business area could not very well bo agreed to without similar application to lands in the cities, which concession I am sure your council will agree could not he favourably entertained.”

To this telegram the Mayor read i the following letter which he had | sent in reply to Mr Cobbe:—“My telegram to you, I think, clearly sets out that, generally speaking, the relief of the rate burden was just as necessary in the towns as in the counties. I specially stress six classes of borough ratepayers as follow : Owners of business premises, -sections in the business area, urban farm lands, large vacant sections, unemployed endeavouring to retain their homes, and residences with large sections attached. In your reply you specially mention business premises and sections in the business area and state that you l'eel sure that our council would not agree to granting concessions to such premises and sections in the cities. The Borough Council has not expressed its opinion on that point, but I think it will be found that the council is of opinion that the difficulties in the larger cities arc as acute as they are in the smaller boroughs. My whole purpose in sending the telegram of November 5 was to bring under your notice the difficulties in the boroughs. I quite agree that the majority of farmers are in need of relief from rates, but I think also that the majority of ratepayers in boroughs find themselves in a similar position. As a matter of fact 1 think that investigation would show that the owners of business premises having regard to lower rents and vacant shops and offices, are, if anything, in a worse position than a great number of the farming community. 1 am aware that farmers’ organisations have represented the sorry financial plight of a great number of fanners to the Government and as a result have been afforded relief, hut I do think that, having regard to the difficulties that borough and city ratepayers are at the present time labouring under, the Government should have considered the borough and city ratepayers equally | with the county ratepayers. The relief . proposed to urban farm land owners j is most welcome, but further considera- i tion should, in my judgment, have been ! given the remaining ratepayers in boroughs.” t There was no doubt, the Mayor add-j ed, that further and more mature con-1 sideration should have been given towards the matter of rating relief in | boroughs. The whole thing needed to! bo considered from the borough and j city standpoint, for although the un-j happy position of the farmer was re-; presented to the Government almost daily it was true that relief was acutely

needed in the boroughs. It was time that equal treatment was given to all who were suffering from the depression, and if relief was to be given in the future the town should be considered equally with the country. Mr Taylor said he had nothing to say in regard to the fund from which relief should come, but he privately field views on the subject. It was a matter which tlie Municipal Association would be taking up, and Mr Taylor read the following remits which he proposed forwarding : • _ 1. Motor Spirits 'luxation. Assistance to boroughs under 6000 population. That in addition to the Main Highways Board continuing the existing subsidy of £3 for £1 on both construction and maintenance of streets forming part of main highways, the Motor Spirits Taxation Act be amended to provide for further assistance by allocating, say, 4 per cent of available moneys to be apportioned among those boroughs with a population of under 6060, based on the following factors: (a) ’Population, (b) mileage of streets constructed and maintained.

2. Rates Relief.—That the Government, when considering any future relief to county ratepayers by way of rebate on rates or otherwise, be urged to take into consideration the position of ratepayers in cities boroughs and town boards, as the hardships upon ratepayers in urban distrets due to economic and financial conditions are equally burdensome with hardships suffered by rural ratepayers. Cr. A. C. McCorkindale said it was hard to see the justice of the present arrangement, as rural ratepayers were in a decided minority to city and borough ratepayers, and for them to get 12i per cent, relief on their rates amounted to a benefaction.

Tlie Mayor agreed that this was right, and pointed out further that country ratepayers were getting a £3 for £1 subsidy from petrol tax funds for the main highways through the counties. However, the Mayor did not begrudge the farmer his relief, but he certainly thought that some consideration should have been given the townspeople. Personally, he could not see any difference in the respective cases of the city and country ratepayer. The council confirmed the action of the Mayor in regard to his correspondence with Mr Cobbe and agreed to the forwarding of the remits.