THE NATIVES LANDS RATING ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6564, 30 November 1882, Page 5

THE NATIVES LANDS RATING ACT.

[lIV TKLKfiIUPII.—OWN COKKESPOXUKNT.] Wfxi.inoton, Wednesday. I havk received the following useful information as to the course that will be adopted in carrying out the Crown and Native Lands Rating Act. No decision has yet been arrived t at by the Government as to the districts ! which will be proclaimed rating dis- ■ tricts under section -1, which gives the ! Govornor-in-Couneil power to make such ' proclamation, but they -.vill be limited by the j tift-r-uth "exception" in clause l!o"f the! Act, which exempts native lands situ- j ateil more than five miles from a public road highway open for horse traffic. Native lands in those districts will be valued by the property tax assessors at their full value to sell for cash, and it will be open to persor.s interested to object in the usual way to such valuations. Native lands occupied by Europeans will be liable to rates under the Rating Act. Those to be paid by the occupier as first rates under the Crown and Native Lanils.Rating Act will be for the current year ending .">lst March next, but local bodies cannot make any demand for payment until the assessment rolls now in progress are completed. "Vhen it in ascertained what are eharg.-iblo the Colonial Treasurer will publish iu the Gazette, in the Maori language, a notice of the sums due in respect of each block. Natives may then pay, hut if they do not do so, the Treasurer will pay the rates to the local bodies, and charge "the sum against the land, to be reimbursed when the land is sold or leased. This liability will not be registered as a Hen on the land (thus encumbering the title), but will simply charge it as aforesaid when land comes into the market for sale or lease. It is believed that nic.st of the large native landowners will readily pay the rates due. The above is the first step in bringing into operation the new system of the local government scheme embodied in the legislation of las.t sc: nion.