WHAT OF THE CITIES?

Northern Advocate, 28 November 1933, Page 4

WHAT OF THE CITIES?

The ‘Wellington “Evening' Post” raises an important point ! in relation to the campaign infav-1 oiir of derating, and we feel that j its arguments will be read with in-1 terest by our Northern readers,! who are just now dealing oner- i getieally with the subject. The j “Post” says: Derating is one| tiling, and rural derating is some- j thing wholly different. As there: appeal's to be an attempt to se-1 cure rural derating by agitation, i it is gratifying to note that tho'j Prime Minister is well aware of j the difference. Replying to an I Auckland farmers’ deputation on I Thursday, he said: “It has been! stated that the user should pay | for the roads, but have the city j streets been, taken into consideration?” Apparently.,they have not been considered by those who demand total derating of country lands; yet in any logical scheme they must be. If 1 lie user is to pay it is logical to make him pay either for all roads or for those roads that he uses. It. is not logical to make him pay for the roads he docs not use, and not for roads he does use. There are thousands of vehicles, paying many thousands of pounds in 'road taxation, which travel almost exclusively on city streets. They cannot reasonably be taxed more than they are now in order fas the deputation implied) to relieve counties which cannot collect, rates from Crown lands or Native i lands. The Native and Crown land problems are distinct and separate from the road-use issue. More clearly relevant to roaduse and road-maintenance is the question of local government mentioned by Mr Coates in his Budget and emphasised by Mr Forbes in his reply to the i deputation, Without rating there would be no reas.on for continuing representation; and when it is suggested that the burden of rates should be shifted there can be no valid argument against investigation of the privileges as well as the responsibilities of local government.