COUNTY RATES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20169, 23 February 1931, Page 10

COUNTY RATES.

—". PLEA FOR 25 PER CENT- | REDUCTION. TOWNSPEOPLE AND THE * ROADS* . t ■ f j T" ! . ; -(Si4ctA£'"*o tUB fassS-} L , • . INVEROARGILL, February 2L A discussion on the necessity for, a substantial 1 redaction in county 'rates at a meeting of the Southland Executive of the Farmers'.. Union to-day brought out the statement that if the counties all Wed their wads to get into bad repair it would havb a strong moral dfect on\the townspeppl?, who fdfiiSe to acknowledge that M the farmers are facing an- eoM4iiiio iSriSii). "If the townspeople, who go ,out into the,c6Unt#y, ie? a joyride to be tosSed nboUt k hit On tljfli toadi It mighty make thorn. think and .WakS 'them up; to position Ui t " Mffiadted inember responsible for jfcbe Another member sa|d he diA not' think,' that method of reprisals was so Bonnd, as the townspeople weye not compellea to use the goSiiw ana ir WW farmers who would be t&sied ahont.", The meeting passed a MiwlUtion, vocAl ting a rigid curtailment- of iflwJ rf"; uf t """ s ' fattiiori a t&A, ' Mr .o. !E. Neidsrer,' piflVincial organiser for' ths siiaiiithat thefarmers expefitdd thai the, tinlon would give a lead ..-in the mattfif 1 of urgijig a reduction of farmers, he added, field very extreme views. He had he&ird' oU farmer SeHoUSly sttg. gest "thatthe , coUfiij' - should disiUHa'ftli thdif eriipldyees, levyho i'atfis for thp and alWw th 6 to do what it could with the roads with,the Highways Board funds, , This view Jwks certainly, but the Union should tion in tates.' , , The chairman, as a member, of 1 the Southland County Council, sstid' that he did bdl know. Whether thfe ehaitmM tof ; th 6' Wallace Couhty Ceuneil (also.* a member of the executive) was pyepayed to discuss* the policy of his'Oojinoiij hut ' as far' as the Southland .County Cotia-/ cii waa .concerned he boild say that it •was not undertaking njt present any development wojk,'-and expenditure was kept down -to an minimum. Speaking personally, however, he. must say ,thAt he would" neve* 1 consent j to the roads in his ndiftg being allowed 'to deteriorate, * 1 In reply td a the chairman said' that, the costs were low, and' in some instances very low. , Mr .T, Major stressed the necessity for the tTnion taking a lead and said * that in his thd Union was quite jUßtiiied in making a recommendation to the County couti&ls that tfo tates be reduced" to the .greatest eitent possible in view of. the present econo&ic situation, ,At its pfeViQU* mgetittg the Executive urged that-the of -the 10 per cent,- penalty on' unpaid rates should' not be imposed Until at least two-months later in view, of the financial position. Replies from the County, Council and the Powe*. Board ware redeivfd-to-day ' stating _th4t the would not bd charged until the last possible day, but it Was-nweSß&ry : thftt the- rate 'should be added',, if tw local* bodies "Were to > .receive their xevenueL /