Rating Native Lands.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 46, 7 December 1894, Page 4

Rating Native Lands.

The question of rating native lands was before the Taranaki County Council on Monday. Mr McGloin introduced the matter, stating that he had written to Mr McGuire, requesting him, in conjunction with Mr Smith, to try and assist the Council in obtaining rates from the native lands held by the Public Trustee. He had obtained an approximate area from the Lands Department as follows:—Cape district, 15,060 acres: Opunake, 20,628 ; total, 35,688. The rateable value of the above lands would be about 80s per acre, and he considered the Trustee was indebted to the Council to the amount of £l6O for rates. A reply "was received from the Colonial Treasurer, poiuting out that under " The Eating Acts Amend-, ment Act, 1893," Sections 15 to 17, the native reserves controlled by the Public Trustee were rendered liable to rates, and the provisions of the last mentioned Act were now embodied in " The Eating Act, 1894," vide definition of " occupier " (2), and " rateable property " (3). The correspondence was read, and Mr McGloin moved that a plan of area, value, &c, of native land in the county be prepared by the valuers. The motion was carried.