SMALL GRAZING RUNS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 20

SMALL GRAZING RUNS.

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 13. Speaking on the Rating Act Amendment Bill to-night, Mr Fraser said that the Government Rating Act of last year had increased the rent of small grazing runs enormously in many cases. The greatest injustice was done in the case of the very poorest lands. In some instances tho amount which the settlers were called upon to pay had been increased twentyfold.

Mr Buddo : Not on lands of that class — only on the good lands. Mr Fraser retorted that the hon. gentleman did not know what he was talking about. It was precisely in the case of poor lands that the injustioe was most marked. There was no comparison between the small grazing runs in the North and in the South Island. In the North Island some of the lands so classed were worth £5 or £6 an acre, but in the South Island they were often the lower spurs of bare mountains. With the snow and rabbits and difficulties of all kinds that these men had to contend with, it was not fair to expect them to pay big rents. Sir Joseph Ward stated that the provi-

sion in regard to small grazing runs had been inserted to meet the case of the improved grazing runs in the North Is and. He admitted that it operated unjustly in the case of South leland runs, consisting of land of poor quality, and he said he was satisfied that the thing would have to he put right. The valuations upon many of "these runs were fanciful, having been fixed at a time when no rates were levied It was true, as had been stated that some tenants were now called upon to pay 20 times as much, as formerly In other cases the annual payments had been.increased four, "five, and ten-fold It_ would be unfair to allow this position to stand.