PROBLEMS OF RATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21503, 29 May 1933, Page 11

PROBLEMS OF RATES

EFFORTS FOR SOLUTION

INQUIRY BY COMMITTEE LOCAL BODIES' TROUBLES The Native Land Rating Committee, which was set up early in April by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. \\ . f orbes, to inquire into the many problems involved in the assessment and collection of rates 011 native lands, is at present in the Bay of Plenty district and is due at Rotorua this week. The committee began its work about a fortnight ago in the East Coast districts. Its itinerary has not been announced, hut the probability is that from the Bay of Plenty it will proceed to the King Country and North Auckland, which are the other districts most concerned. Afterwards evidence may be taken in Taranaki, Wellington and Hawke's Bay if need arises. The chairman of the committee is Mr. A. D. McLeod, M.P. for Wairarapa and formerly Minister of Lands. Iho other members are Mr. R.N. Jones, of Gisborne, Judge of the Native Land Court, and Mr. J. H. Reid, chairman of the Opotiki County Council. The inquiry was asked for by several local bodies which were in financial difficulties through inability to collect rates 011 large areas of native lands within their districts. In announcing that a committee had been appointed, the Prime Minister said he hoped that its investigations and recommendations would enable the whole matter to be placed on a more satisfactory basis.

Native lands have been a serious problem for many years to county councils and through them to country hospital boards, which depend upon levies collected from the local authorities. The trouble has been made more acute by the economic depression, which has led to many defaults by European ratepayers.

Lt has always been argued by the county councils that Maoris make full use of the roads and other facilities provided at the ratepayers' expense and that they should pay their fair share of the cost. However, there is a large body of native land legislation which makes it difficult, in fact practically impossible, for the local authorities to obtain redress, particularly in regard to rates on land the ownership of which has not been individualised. At the same time it is recognised that a large number of natives are quite unable to find even a fraction of the rates due annually on the lands in which they have an interest.