DETERIORATED LANDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16534, 29 December 1927, Page 7

DETERIORATED LANDS

p EFFECT OF REVALUATION COUNTIES LOSE REVENUE • (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. “ Sweeping revaluations of deteriorated lands have been made by the Gov- • ernment, and to-day many county councils are at a loss to see their way to make ends meet out of revenue. I think I can say that the position has reached a very acute stage,’’ said the Minister of Lauds, the lion. A. D. McLeod, when interviewed to-day. “ The revenue derived from rates on the new valuations is insufficient to keep the counties going. In some cases valuations have been reduced from 25s to 30s per acre to as little as 5s per acre, and local bodies, are, as a consequence, faced with the very difficult problem of maintaining roads and other public facilities out of a very much smaller annual income. These revaluations had to be made and lower values were thoroughly justified in every case, but a new and very difficult phase of the deteriorated lands problem is now presented. “ Without doubt, it is a matter for very close investigation, it will have * 7 to be gone into by the Minister of Public Works, the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister, and myself. It would appear that the counties will have to be given some assistance if the necessary works and maintenance are to bo carried on. It may be that some of the money will have to bo taken from Consolidated Fund for this purW P° se - ie P moment I can see other way out.” / ' Revaluations were proceeding steadily, said Mr. McLeod, and it was hoped to get through everything early in the New Year. ,