EX-SOLDIERS’ RATES.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15320, 22 August 1923, Page 6

EX-SOLDIERS’ RATES.

PIAKO COUNTY’S OFFER.

MR MaoMILLAN DEFENDS CHAIRMAN

The following is an excerpt from 'a speech made by the member for Tauranga and read at the Piako County meeting on Monday, referring to lands for returned soldiers:—*T want to take very strong exception to the reference made by the Leader of the Labour Party to the Chairman of the Piako Co-unty Council. What has the hairman of the Piako 'County Council to do with this Bill? The Chairman of the Piako County Council is not a member of this House and cannot protect himself against the attack of the Leader of the Labour Party, In which the honourable member accused him of lack of sympathy by saying that a man who cannot pay his rates ought to surrender his land. It Is my privilege and honour to know the gentleman referred •to, and I say that nobody could be found In the Te Aroha or Matamata district who would endorse the remarks of the leader of the Labour Party with reference to that gentleman. If Mr Walters errs in any way it is on the side of generosity, Mr Walters is the mouthpiece of the Piako Council as its chairman, and that local body has decided to wipe off all the arrears of soldiers’ rates for years past, amounting to thousands of pounds. The position of a soldier ratepayer is different from that of an ordinary ratepayer in that you cannot olalm against him except with the consent of the Land Board. The Piako County has spent thousands of pounds In giving these soldier-settlers access, and has prepared a comprehensive metalling scheme to metal all roads, and so they want some system of assured finance. The Piako Council accordingly suggested to the Auckland Land Board that if the Council wrote off all the past arrears due by the soldier-settlers it should, if further arrears accrue in future, be given authority to press for and recover those rates. *1 take it that in making that statement Mr Walters supplied the soldiers with an excellent argument in support of .their request for a rebate, when he said they could not afford to •pay their rates. If a soldier cannot pay his rates, surely it is to his interest to vacate the land a-nd allow some one of greater experience or capital to occupy it. There was nothing in Mr Walters’ remark at all unsympathetic to the returned soldiers on the land. It was far from his intention to make any unkind suggestion. His idea is to assist the returned soldier for all he is worth." Mr Walters said he could not understand any reflection being made, as the Piako Council had always been most sympathetic with the soldiers, as their action in remitting rates showed. Cr. Kennedy considered the Land Department was wrong in .preventing the Council from collecting rates from a man who could pay. Mr Walters said in argument that he did consider that in future settlers should be made to pay rates.