ALL TIME RECORD OF MAORI COUNTY RATES COLLECTED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 94, 1 June 1949, Page 5

ALL TIME RECORD OF MAORI COUNTY RATES COLLECTED

A new record has been established by the Maori Rate Collector f the Whakatane County Council, Mr A. O. Stewart, for the total number of Maori rates collected in the county for the year ending March 31, 1949. So successful'has he been that the total collection of both current rates and arrears have surpassed not only the best previous year’s total by over £IOOO, but also the total amount of rates struck for the year by over £l5O. Mr Stewart reveals this in his annual report to the Wha-

katane County Council. The only county in New Zealand to have its own Maori rate collector the Whakatane County collects almost 100'per cent of Maori rates a

year through the efforts of Mr

Stewart, who alone covers an area from Matata to Edgecumbe to Kutarere.

Last "year the total amount of Maori rates struck by the council was £4,185/7/7 of which £4,108/3/6, including arrears, was collected. The sum collected for drainage rates, £2,555/19/11, passed the amount struck for the year of £2328. During the year £2,790/11/9 of the current rates was collected and £1,317/11/9 in arrears. Arrears Collected Too Beside collecting current rates Mr Stewart reveals in his report that he is also collecting large amounts of rates in arrears. Nine years ago the total arrears of Maori rates stood at £18,058/8/8. On March 31 of last year the figure had been reduced to £7,723/13/6 and at March 31 of this year it had been further reduced to £7,130/13/2. “The position has improved so

much with regard to cleaning up

the arrears,” Mr Stewart adds, “that another year or two at the most /'should see all arrears cleaned up other than those under the receiver- ' ship and on undeveloped poor lands difficult of being leased.” The collection for the \ 1948-49 year has been abnormal, he points cut and it is not anticipated ever reaching the total again. He stresses this fact and gives the following reasons which caused the large, in-

crease: 3 “1. A good proportion of arrears ' Which had been held over from * -fame to time v/ere paid during this year. s “2. In the past, the occupation of several properties were constantly changing hands, and often left in doubt; but this year, I have been able to gather more definite information regarding these properties, and so enabling the easier collection •of rates. “3. This year, I instituted a new system of getting into contact with the Maori ratepayers. Where a per- . sonal visit fails to find them at home, I write them fully explaining the position regarding their rates, which course generally urged them to seek me out or get in touch with me by phone Or correspondence. “4. I have educated many of the Maori ratepayers to remit their rates by post, and not wait for me to call and collect as they invariably did in the past,” he concludes. Are Not Bad Payers

With his new and improved sys-

tem of collecting the rates Mr Stewart has saved himself and Maori

ratepayers much heedless work and has now brought the annual collection to a point where it now compares more than favourably with

rates collected from other residents of the county. Mr Stewart concludes his report with some remarks that seem to refute the views held by many people regarding Maoris as bad payers: “It is generally held that Maoris are bad payers, I for one have not found them so, but rather that they are too ready and willing to pay where they have the money without looking more closely into the extent of their liability.”