THAMES BOROUGH RATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 14

THAMES BOROUGH RATES

NATIVE LAND TAKEN OVER DISCUSSION BY COMMITTEE [bt telegraph—OWN correspondent] THAMES, Wedncsdny An agreement has been made with the trustees of the Stewart Estate for the Thames Borough Council to take over "properties in the borough valued at £4250 in settlement of rates amounting to approximately £I2OO, the commissioner, Mr. C. L. Grange, reported at the meeting of the Borough Advisory Committee lttet night. .Mr. C. S. Donovan protested against the borough taking over further properties, and said that too much was held by the borough now. The Mayor, Mr. S. Ensor, pointed out that this was native land, and it was a costly and unsatisfactory procedure to obtain charging orders agairwt Maori estates.

Mr. Donovan said tho procedure was not fair to the ratepayers of the town. Some of the native owners had paid rates' up to three years ago. Mr. Grange said that one large estate had been selling revenue-producing sections to meet rates, arid this had soon come to an end. The Advisory Committee would not sell these sections unless they received fair value for them. The Mayor said it was good business to securo the land and Europeaniso it. Mr. C. J. Garland remarked there was no cause for saying the borough was grabbing the land. The offer mentioned had come entirely from tho trustees of the estate. In the past the trustee of the estate had seen that the rates were paid, but since his death the position had entirely changed. Mr. Donovan said the debentureholders were losing their security by the borough taking over sections in payment of rates. , The Mayor maintained that both the debenture-holders and the ratepayers would be the better olf by the council's action. Tho land would have becoiiio tho property of the borough m case at a later date, but loaded with costs which would not now he incurred. The commissioner pointed out that in other native lands taken oyer previously, the borough had made a good deal' and was obtaining revenue from them, whereas nothing was paid on them before. . The action taken was finally approved bv the committee. _ * The collection of rates for the past financial year totalled 80.:5 per cent. Ihe commissioner stated that a steady improvement was shown in the payment of rates over the past five years, as follows: 1932, 54 per cent; 1933, 65 per cent; 1934, 69.2 per cent; 1930, 76.2 per cent. ____________„