RIVER BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1839, 27 August 1913, Page 7

RIVER BOARDS.

AN EXTENSION OF POWERS. . ' The River Boards Amendment Bill (the Hon. A. L. Herdman), -circulated yesterday, extends the powers of .river boards in 'classifying land for rating purposes, and imposes rates on a graduated scale. The principal Act of 1908 gave the option'of imposing rates on a uniform scale or one a graduated scale according to the classification of the lands of the .district. 'The 'Bill providos that "every, rate or special rate hereafter mado under the principal Act shall be levied on a graduated scalo according to tho classification of rateable property made by tho board. There is a proviso, however, that if the Minister of Internal Affairs is satisfied that air tho lands liable to. be rated will derive practically equal benefit from works carried out, ho may authorisc rating on a uniform scale.

The system of valuing and classifying lands is also altered. Under the principal Act the Valuer-General was required to furnish to the boards rolls of valuation of the district concerned and the board then classified their lands, fw rating purposes into: (a) Lands liable to great actual damsko. (b) Lands liable to less actual damage. (c) Lands indirectly liable to damage. The Bill provides that the board may appoint one or more fit persons to examine and classify all rateable property in the district .into these classes:— (a) Lands receiving or likely to reteivo .immediate and direct benefit from 'the river works. (b) Lands receiving or likely to re-1 ibcivo less direct benefit therefrom. (c) Lands receiving or likely to receive only an indirect benefit therefrom; and ' (a) All other' lands. • . The board is empowered to fix the proportions of the rating, but no rate may be imposed upon any land which is not likely to receive any benefit from the special expenditure. It is further provided that tho Government may, by proclamation, alter boundaries, exclude districts, or subdivide districts on the petition of onefourth of tho ratepayers concerned in lieu of the two-thirds stipulation made by the principal Act. Four representatives of a subdivision may be appointed instead of three,'.and when an elec-. tion fails the vacancy may he filled by tho Government by proclamation.