UNPAID COUNTY RATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 10

UNPAID COUNTY RATES

MATAKAOA COUNCIL'S PLIGHT

DECISION NOT TO RESIGN EFFORT TO COLLECT MONEY [Br TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT] GISBORNE, Tuesday The Matakaoa County Council held a special meeting to receive proposals from the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. A. Hamilton, and to finalise the council's intention to resign. Tho Minister, in his letter, urged the council to make an effort to collect the outstanding rates. He also proposed that in meeting liabilities, debenture holders overseas should be given preference, and then should follow the interest on overdraft owing to the Bank of New Zealand. Mr. K S. Williams, M.P., attended the meeting in order to assist the council. He asked why preference should be given to people in London and the Bank of Ntiw Zealand, and not, for instance, to the Waiapu Hospital Board, which was in urgent need of money. Councillors explained that the intention of the council to resign in a body was because it was thought to be useless to continue without funds, and that if the council resigned, the Public Works Department might look after the county roads. Mr. Williams said there was no assuronco that tho Public Works Department would do anything, and he would advise the council not to resign, but to make an effort to collect- the rates by suing. As some of the councillors were defaulters themselves, councillors said they would be placed in a very invidious position, becoming prosecutor and prosecuted at the same time. On the other hand, if defaulting councillors resigned, there would bo no quorum on the council. Another councillor thought those members of the council who had not paid their rates should remain on the council, because, they were placed on that body by Act of Parliament and not in the usual manner. It was decided that the council sliotild not resign and that there was no alternative but to sue for recovery of the rates. The recurring question of native rates was brougtr up and one member expressed the opinion that non-payment of native rates in the past was largely responsible for the plight in which they found themselves. Mr. Williams mentioned that one great difficulty with natives was that they had no blear titles to their holdings. Reference was also made to the delay in consolidating native interests in various blocks, for tho sooner the process of consolidation was carried out, the better it would be for the natives as well as for local bodies. Mr. Williams was asked to make representations to the Minister of Internal Affairs on behalf of the council on his visit to Wellington next week.