RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4312, 22 March 1901, Page 3

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE

CARRIED IN ON SLOW.

A poll under the Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 1896, in connection with the Borough of Onslow was held on Wednesday, with the result that the system was adopted. There were 140 votes recorded, for the adoption of the system, and eight against. The number of persons eligible to vote was 429. The polling place was the Kaiwarra Hall, and Mr S. C. G. Vickers was the returning officer, . The. result was not unexpected, and it is believed that a feeling that it was hopeless to oppose the proposal for the adoption of the rating on unimproved value system was the reason why so few opponents went to the poll. , ,/ It. is not yet known, when the system will actually come into effect in the borough. Some steps have been taken to have the valuation roll prepared under the former- system of. rating. As a consequence of the change, when it actually takes place, several owners of unoccupied lanfl will have to pay considerably more in rates. On the other hand, there will be a large reduction m Abe amount payable for rates by, for instance,. the, Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company audl the owner ol a valuable' property at Kaiwarra. Severn, questions in regard to the poll have led to much discussion. With reference to one of them, it may be pointed out chat the Council was legally advised that lesidential occupants were not entitled to vote and accordingly they ” ot P u , on the roll for the poll. The Council was also advised that there must be one polling place at some central part ot the borough, as provided by the Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 18. o, and the Local Bodies Loans Act, i°ot>. Sub-section 6 of section 37 of the Act of 1886 declares tjiat there shall be only one polling booth. This provision is not altered by section 27 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, as the inhabitants of Onslow do not number more than 3000; section 27 does not apply to the borough. The opinion was further given that "the Council could not have its ' offices as a second polling place in connection with the proposal . = There would then have; '•'* teen-; Wii. 'polling places,, which counsel took to be contrary to sub-section 6 of section 37. of the Local Bodies’ Loans Act, 1886. If .the latter Act had morely said that, there should he one polling booth,' the. Council might have had the offices as well; but the subsection in question in effect says two things—first, that there shall'be'a polling booth in a central part of the bo,rough secondly, that there shall be no more polling booths than one. By “central part” is meant some centre of population, not necessarily a part geo- ' graphically' central.