THE COUNTIES CONFERENCE.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13807, 22 August 1913, Page 3

THE COUNTIES CONFERENCE.

YESTERDAY'S DELIBERATIONS.

ABSENTEE OWNERS

(.Dniied Press Association. J

Wellington, Aug. 21. 1 At the Counties' Association Conference- to-day, Mr Ryde?. (Castlepoint representative) moved that tho Government be requested to so amend the rating powers of county councils as to give them power to levy on every absentee- landowner a rate to be known as "the absentees' rate," which shall consist of an additional percentage not excoeding ten per cent on every general ' rate and separate rate that may be levied on his property in any year following that in which tho owner has not resided within the county for at least six months. The mover said that in his county there were a lot of absentee ratepayers who did not improve their properties to half the same extent as resident ratepayers. The result was | that the latter were indirectly taxed to 1 make up for tho absentees' shortcomings. j The chairman: Havo you tried rating on unimproved value? Mr. Ryder: Yes; and we dropped it. iWo found that the moro we improved our properties tlfe higher rose the valuo of other properties. Mr Ryder wont on Ito assert that absentee landlords were a drag on a progressive district. In a general discussion absentee owners were variously referred to. One] } delegate as-sorted that they were a j curse to the country, 'while another contended that they very often expend- j ed moro capital on their land than local owners. It was also pointed out that the re-1 niit did not make any ' distinction between an absentee who improved his land and a neighbour who held for a rise in value. Tho motion was rejected.