Rating on Unimproved Value.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 72, 22 September 1897, Page 3

Rating on Unimproved Value.

o A meeting of ratepayers of No. 6 Ward of the Manchester Road Board was hold at Hiwinui on Saturday evening last for the purpose of considering the question of rating on the unimproved ▼aloe. The meeting was well attended and Mr D. Thomas, the Warden, was voted to the chair. Mr Shepherd was appointed secretary. Mr Thomat explained tbat b« bad been I requested by a number of ratepayers to convene the present meeting to discuss this all important subject of rating. It was a question that required serious consideration before it was adopted. If it was thought advisable to make a change it would be necessary to do so before the next rate was struck. Other districtn had adopted the principle, although some were averse to rating on the unimproved value he was personally in favor of it. A good deal would be saved in the direction of charitable aid. At present the Manchester Board paid £210 per annum in charitable aid, a sum which was considerably in advance of tbat paid by the Manawatu Road Board. The average valuation of the Manchester Board was £& per acre, while Manawatu's average valuation was only £6, consequently more had to be paid away in charitable aid. In answer to a question, Mr Thomas farther explained that some land near Halcombe was rated at i-4 per acre, While tome in the immediate neigbourhood was rated much higher. Mr Hills knew some property valued at £9 per acre, while a section opposiite, which was highly improved, was rated at £16. The chairman said it wonld be necessary to take a poll of the ratepayers before the new system could be adopted, and that it required two«thirds of the ratepayers to carry the poll. He also thought that the unimproved value of the land on the Aehuret- Bunny thorps road would be £6 per acre. Mr Heneghan thought £6 would be too high. Mr Bobby did not think they were paying much more now thoa would have to be paid if the land was valued so high. Mr Bowlings was decidedly in favor of rating on the unimproved value. It seemed to him that the more a man improved his holding the more rates he had to pay. He moved that the Board be asked to take a poll of the ratepayer* to ascertain if the majority were in favor of rating on the unimproved value. Mr Robby seconded the motion, which was carried, only two voting against. Mr Henegban hoped the special rates would not be raised any higher. He thought they had been raised recently. Mr Thouias explained tbat only sufficient was collected to pay the interest on the loans. Mr Hills wanted to know ii the Engineer got any commission out of the loan monies. The Chairman explained that Mr Bray got five per cent for upending it, and he would also get 5 per cent out of money raised for the purpose of re-erecting the Gorge Bridge, but that would include the cost of plans, supervision of the re-erec-tion, &c. Mr Rowlings took the advantage of the presence of so many ratepayers to bring up the question of opening a road through Messrs Greenhow, Kelsall and Lloyd's property to connect with the Kelvin Grove road. Mr Bray had inspected the proposed road, which was 200 chains in length, and had estimated the cost of forming and metalling, with a grade of 1320 and 16 feet of formation, at £1,400. Mr Hills was in favour of keeping the present roads in thorough repair, before constructing more. Mr Henaghan considered that if all the unused roads in the district were lot to adjoining land owners, at 5s per acre, sufficient conld thns be derived to pay interest on tbe loan which would be necessary to be raised to construct the road iv question, Mr Shepherd thought a deputation should wait on the Road Board, and ask them to form and metal their portion of the road, and tbat the settlers should take a vote and ascertain if they were willing to raise a loan for the purpose of opening up the road which wonld certainly prove of considerable benefit to farmers residing at Hiwinni. Eventually the matter was allowed to stand over for the present. In the meantime something definite is to be ascertained in regard to the road through Mr Greenhow 's. Before the meeting dispersed it was decided to hold another meeting at the Spur road school on a future date to obtain the ratepayers' views on the rating on tbe unimproved value question. — Standard