RATING IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4427, 6 August 1901, Page 5

RATING IN AUCKLAND.

UNIMPROVED VALUE TAXATION. Special to the "Times.” AUCKLAND, August 5. Excitement has been worked up to fever heat On the question of rating on unimproved values, which comes up for decision by a poll of ratepayers in the city of Auckland to-morrow (Tuesday). The poll is regarded with more than ordinary interest, inasmuch as the impres. sion prevails that it will very materially influence the Government in pushing on or dropping its Unimproved Values Bill, which provides for the adoption of this system of rating throughout the whole colony. For the past week large public meetings have been held in the city and suburbs, at which- the question has been debated with considerable warmth, and the daily papers have given up their leader and correspondence col* umn* to discussions on the subject. The public meetings were arranged by the advocates of unimproved taxation, and by a singular coincidence the single tax advocates, who are a pretty strong little partv here, have thrown in their lot with the advocates of the proposed reform. The most has been made of thU by the opponents of unimproved rating, and the other side has been at much pains to prove that the ultimate aim and object of the proposed reform is not sinyls tax. The leader of the miimproved tax. ers is Mr George Fowl®?, member for Auckland city, an avowed single taxer, and he has • considered the struggle of so much importance that he has left his Parliamentary duties and entered into the contest with all his energy. His party is "well supported; and is backing its convictions not only with oratory, but with coin, and the town is flooded with leaflets illustrating this party’s views. The City Council was aked by them to issue to each ratepayer a notice showing the amount of rates he pays under the existing system of rating, and the amount he would be called upon to pav if rating on unimproved values is adopted. The Council agreed to supply the first item of information, but the second had to he obtained from the Government valua* tions. One result has been to show that the Government valuations in very many cases are absurdly low, and ratepayers are warned by the opponents of the new rating not to accept the figures as conclusive either a* to the unimproved value of their land or as Die basis of the taxes they would have to pay. Both the uaily papers have thrown their weight into the scale with the opponents of unimproved taxation, and are supporting a strong well.Organised, hard-working partly determined to leave no stone unturned to prevent the poll being carried. They predict all sorts of dire disaster in the event of the poll being successful. The “Star” says:—."ln determining how he will cast his vote the elector should keep clearly in mind this essential fact, that the present sytem of municipal rating is the one which prevails in every part of the Anglo-Saxon world except Queens, land and a few country districts and minor towns in this colony. With a tax of 33d on municipal taxation and 2d in the pound as Government land tax, as pronosed by Mr Fowlds. the taxation of Auckland would amount to 44s 9jd out of every £5 of rental value of the laud. The remaining value in the land w‘ll not be long left, if Mr Fowlds and his friends get their wav. The poll is taken upon a requisition signed by 15 per cent, of the ratepayers, and every ratepayer and every ratepayer’s wife is qualified to vote.” It appears that every ratepayer is entitled to have his wife enrolled, but it seems to have been largely taken for granted that wives could vote without being on the roll. There is likely to be much disappointment, and those who have been careful to comply with the law in this resnect should have a big pull in the voting. It is impossible to say hoy the poll will go, and it is useless guessing, except to say that neither side is confident of winning, and the majority either way will not ba a large one in a heavy poll.”