State Flax Growing Enterprise

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 191, 13 August 1941, Page 8

State Flax Growing Enterprise

LOSS OF RATES TO MANAWATU COUNTY “I think we ought to make somo effort to recover the rates which the council has lost on the Moutoa estate,” remarked Cr. W. E. Barber (chairman) at yesterday’s meeting of the Manawatu County. Council when recalling that the Government had recently acquired the Moutoa estate of 40UU acres for flax-growing. Ho said that the council had been nit fairly severely in losing the rates over suen a large area of valuablo land, and after consideration of the position he felt that the council should make a move in an effort to recover the loss. It had to be remomoered, he said, that the flaxgrowing on the “Moutoa” was a commercial enterprise because the Government was using the flax to keep tho j industry going. The loss of hospital rates was also a matter for concern. The county clerk (Mr. A. K. Drew) said that the property would no longer bo liable for hospital rates as it was now cut out of the rateaolc land in the couuty. Special rates would still bo collected until the liability on the land had been liquidated. The discussion then turned to tho Ohakea property, which had been acquired by tue Stato for an air station, and Mr. Drew said that the council had lost approximately £IOO in rates on this property, while tne loss on the Moutoa property amounted to £363 6s Sd, in addition to the hospital rate of £125. Cr. A. N. Morcom had always bold the view that the fairest thing was for the Crown to pay rates. For years the Farmers’ Union had advocated this, an<« ho thought it was right. The chairman said that tho Moutoa proposition was a commercial undertaking and therefore should pay rates. Cr. J. Boyce held the samo view and Cr. H. J. Fagan said that had a private individual taken over tho estato and used it for tho same purposo as the Crown, he would navo been liable for rates. He favoured the council making every endeavour to collect the rates lost.

The county clerk suggested that an approach should be made to the Department of Industries and Commerce to ascertain whether the rates could be recovered, as ho understood that this department was running the estate. With this suggestion tho eounpil agreed and the chairman and county ilerk were authorised to visit Wellington to discuss tho position and to represent tho losses the council was suffering by reason of properties within tho county being acquired by the Crown.