RATES ON NATIVE LAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21520, 17 June 1933, Page 13

RATES ON NATIVE LAND

PROBLEMS OF COLLECTION EVIDENCE AT THAMES CHARGING ORDER QUESTION [BY TEI/F.CRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] THAMES, Friday A sitting of the Native Land Rates i Committee was held at Thames to hear representations on behalf of the Thames Borough, Harbour Board and County Council, with referenco to the collection of rates levied on properties owned by natives. Mr. E. J. Clendon, who appeared on behalf of the borough commissioner, | Mr. C. L. Grange, and the Harbour Board, produced a statement showing the amount of rates levied on native property in Thames borough in recent years, and the amount collected. He said the views of both tho commissioner and the Harbour Board were that tho present system of collecting native rates in the borough was ineffective and almost hopeless. The Harbour Board rated on the capital value and the borough on the unimproved value. Amendment ol Act Suggested The feeling was that there was too much delay in tho collection of those rates and that charging orders were ineffective. Tho Native Land Court, which was sympathetic with the natives, had over-riding powers and j as a consequence the right of recovery | was useless to local bodies. Mr. Clen- | don suggested that when native lands j were within tho borough and the I owners had tho advantages of the I amenities supplied by tho borough they J should bo classed as European lands. ! He advocated the amendment of the [ Rating Act along those lines. Counsel mentioned tho caso of one ! native* landowner who owed £3OOO to tho borough for rates. In reply to the chairman of the ' committee, Hon. A. D. McLeod, Mr. Clendon stated that much of the property was only grass paddocks, not producing rent. He pointed out further that tho valuations were so high that natives were unable either to sell or lease borough land, but that if the natives were treated as Europeans and thers was no intervention by the Native Land Court, they could sell at what they considered reasonable prices and lease at reasonable rentals. Comment on Valuations Tho chairman stated that as a rule it was found that local bodies did not apply for charging orders. It was surprising that the natives had not got a reduction in valuations. This was an entirely new phase with native land in a borough, but tho committee expected to find further examples as they went further south. On behalf of the Thames County Council, the clerk, Mr. D. Mackay, stated that rates levied over the last 10 years totalled £91,479, £87,452 on European-owned land and £4027 on native-owned. Of this sum, £03,654 had been collected, but only £(39 2s 7d from natives. In 1929 ho had begun taking out charging orders, but ho had found considerable difficulty in realising on them. He held orders to the amount of £722 9s Bd. The clerk said the Minister of Native Affairs had confirmed two orders and the rates had been paid, but on a third tho property had been put up for sale and brought no bid. An offer had twice been submitted to him, but had not been accepted. Area Exempt from Rates Another point, said Mr. Mackay, was that an area from Totara Point to Matatoki had been declared exempt from rating, as too many charging orders had been taken out. He had made application to liavo the exemption removed, as it imposed a hardship on the rest of that riding (Totara). Some of the best farming land in tho country was in this area, and the loss in rates amounted to £l2O a year to the riding. The chairman stated that tho natives must- face the position. If the rates were not collected the roads would deteriorate and they would be unable to get their produce out. If necessary, a concession could bo given over a period but they must be made to recognise their responsibilities. RELIEF OF MAORIS HOSPITAL BOARDS' BURDEN [from our own correspondent! HAMILTON, Friday ° The Native Land Rating Committee sat in Hamilton to-day and heard evidence of N1 r. E. G. Johnson, managingsecretary of the Waikato Hospital Board, and Mr. C. F. E. Barton, clerk of the Waikato County Council, in regard to native lands and rates. Mr. Johnson expressed the opinion that hospital treatment and the relief of Maoris should be a national charge, as the Maori population was so unevenly distributed. He said that as the natives did not pay county rates an undue burden was placed on Europeans. There was also tho question of unpaid hospital bills. The Native Affairs Department did not take the responsibility it should in connection with the relief of Maoris. The chairman, Hon. A. D. McLeod, said he was endeavouring to obtain statistical returns showing the proportion of native-owned lands, their ratable value, the rates collected, the cost of the natives to hospital boards, and tho relative payments of the natives. Such statistics, ho said, would be of great value to the committee and the Government. The position as it applied to the Waikato County Council was explained by Mr. Barton. The committee later heard evidence at To Awamutu from representatives of the Waipa and Kawhia counties.