DERATING OF FARM LANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21596, 14 September 1933, Page 12

DERATING OF FARM LANDS

Sir, —In a recent letter Mr. Mellsop stated that special rates should be paid, because the rate was a just rate, when a number of men met together and, agreed to borrow a certain sum to metal a road or for some similar purpose. I can assure Mr. Mellsop that in some cases the special rate is very unjust. I will quote our own experience. We took up an abandoned farm, 30 miles from the railway, four years ago. The special rate was then Is 8d in the pound, £29 ss. We got the last rating bill the other day, and it is £54 2s Id, the rate being 3s Id in the pound. The general rate is only £2 18s 6d. The general rate is fair enough, but the special rate is beyond all reason and justice. •There are only about 10 sections in the block and over half of these have been abandoned. The council is putting all the special rate on the settlers that are left (about four) and this policy will probably drive them off also. The Gov» ernment is working some of the sections by unemployed labour and, I understand, is not paying the rate. It is high, time that new laws were made. Personally I think all roads should be formed and metalled by the Government, and rates paid for maintenance, if total derating is not possible. This would be the only just method, as the roads in the hilly, back blocks cost far more to make and metal than the level roads near the railway, and it costs a settler in the way-backs far more for cartage, so that it is hardly a fair thing he should have to pay more rates too. Habd-htt.