CROWN RATES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 67, 27 September 1939, Page 5

CROWN RATES

THE NGATIAWA BLOCK A letter was received from the acting registrar of the Native Department by the Whakatane County Council at its meeting on Tuesday. The letter dealt with the Ngatiawa development scheme rating, and stated that the department had been involved in considerable expense in developing the Ngatiawa scheme and development of the station as a whole was still far from complete, and it was not showing any profit over it's working expenses.. The development of the block was financed from loan moneys and the department had received definite instructions from the Treasury that loan moneys cannot be used to pay rates on Crown, lands. Where farming operations produce a. surplus over working expenses an ex gratia payment is sometimes authorised equivalent to the rates that would have been payable. As soon as the revenue from the station began to exceed the expenditure the matter would again be reviewed and the writer Mould endeavour to arrange for at least some payment to be made. The county clerk reported the Nga tiawa scheme paid only special rates. For the current year rates other than special amounted to £72 19s 3d.