THAMES DRAINAGE BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14589, 27 January 1911, Page 8

THAMES DRAINAGE BOARD.

BASIS OF ASSESSMENT.

A CONTENTIOUS MATTER.

The Thames Drainage Board met last- evening. The Hon. E. Mftclielson was'elected chairman of the Board for the ensuing' year. The following letter which had toon written by Mr. E. N. Miller, solicitor, to the chairman of the Assessment Committee was read— In arriving at the basis of assessment prepared by me, and to which your committee has seen fit. to give some consideration, X have to inform you that the grounds upon which I have arrived at my conclusions are somewhat an follows: —The area at the surface hold by each mine-holder within the drainage district is ascertained and the largest area (May Queen) is taken as the unit, or standard, and this is put down at 100 and the others worked out proportionately. The figures as to depth and extent of workings are dealt with in a somewhat similar manner. Taking the Waiotahi as the largest, that company is put down at, 100 and the others proportionately. These proportions are worked out oil the figures obtained by the warden last/ year in connection with the several appeals that came before him. 1 have not the figures as they are at the present time, but 1 do not think they have varied very much. It is possible, however, that the present-day figures to some extent alter those proportions. The member* of your committee are all well acquainted with the workings within each claim, and should, therefore, bo abie to say. whether the proportions shown in that column are approximately correct at the present time. In the case of two or three of the small claims no figures are at present available. Under the heading of gold won or enhanced value, the two points to be considered are in the alternative. 1 consider that wherever the gold won is a substantial amount, the assessment should be under that- heading; in other cases on enhanced value. It seems reasonable that gold won should bear a much larger proportion of the assessment than either of the other headings. I have, therefore, taken the unit for gold won as 250 instead of 100. The Waiotahi having won the largest amount of gold, is therefore put down at 250 and the May Queen at its proper proportion, namely, 102.7. The others are assessed on enhanced value. A reasonable view to take of enhanced value appears to be the annual saving effected by each company in contributing to the total cost of working a joint pump over the annual cost that would be incurred by each company if it had to provide its own pumping plant. The proportion that that amount bears to -the gold won by the Waiotahi Company gives the proportion for each company compared with the unit of 250 for the Waiotahi Company. The figures here were also taken from evidence olttaineil by the warden last year. I have not these figures by me, but I assume they would be approximately the same for each year, no matter which year was taken. Adding these three ktals together gives the basis or percentage 011 which each company should .lie assessed, and working this out on the estimate of a. total assessment of £6100 will give the exact amount to be contributed by each company. • It is then, I think, open to the committee to consider for various reasons whether each company is receiving, generally sneaking, an espial benefit or whether the companies should be classified in any way. If they are so classified, then the final basis will lie altered accordingly. The three areas, Cambria., • She, and Wc«t Coast, are so small and the amount of benefit actually derived by .them is apparently so slight that., notwithstanding the regulations, it might be well to consider whether they should be, assessed at nil, or whether the basis of area only should be taken into consideration, or whether in classifying the mines these should form a class bv themselves and be assessed at a considerably reduced rate." 'Hie committee recommended the following basis of rating be adopted:— Victoria: Area, 30.2: depth and extent, 80; gold or enhanced value, 24.13; total, 134.33; amount, £582.1. Kuranui-Caledonian: Area, 21.5; depth an'd extent, 80; gold or enhanced value, 24.13; total, 125.63; amount. £544.4. Kuranui: Area, 33.0; depth and extent. 30; gold or enhanced value, 24.13; total, 87.13; amount, £377.6. . Moanataiari: Area, 61.5; depth and' extent, 50; gold or enhanced value, 24.13; total, 135.63; amount, £587.7. May Queen: Area, 100; depth and extent. 90; gold or enhanced value, 102.7; total, 232,7; amount, £1268-3. Waiotahi: Area, 15.8; depth and extent, 100; gold or enhanced value, 250; total, 365.8; amount, £1585.1. Saxon Area. 44.6: depth and extent, 80; gold or enhanced value, 24.13; total, 148.73; amount, £644.5. Shortland Flat: Area, 67.6; depth and extent, 20; gold or enhanced value, 24.13; total, 111,73; amount, £484.2. Cambria: Area, 4.6; depth and extent, 0; gold or enhanced value, 0; total, 4,6; amount, £20. She: Area, 3.6; depth and extent., 0; cold or enhanced value, 0; total, 3.6; amount, £15.6. West. Coast: Area, .5; depth ami extent, 0; gold or enhanced value, 0; total, .5; amount, £2.2. Total amount £6111.7. Several members took strong exception to the basis of assessment. Tlx* Chairman suggested that the companies should all appeal and let, the warden settle if. Members of the Assessment Committee said they were prepared to fight any such appeal. It was finally resolved that the signing af the assessments and the striking of the rates be postponed until 11.15 a.m. on Tuesday, and that in the meantime copies of the correspondence ami proposed assessment be forwarded to the members. It wan resolved that pumping lie carried on to the ICOOft level for the current year. The sum of £6106 12s 4d was adopted as the estimate of cost, for drainage purposes during tho current year, including the necessary expenses of the Board. It was resolved that Messrs. H. H. Adams, W. Baker, J. Kncebone, and (J. Wanie be a committee to confer with the engineer and report to the. Board as to what saving, if any, can tie effected in working the pump. It was resolved that the Board meet monthly at Auckland on dates to be fixed by the chairman.