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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2152, 7 August 1907, Page 3

Tho question of permitting the Public Trust Office ill the large cen--,res of population to he consulted on ninor legal questions at a moderate .-liargc, or gratuitously, by persons rho cannot well afford to pay ordiniry lawyers’ charges, was suggested to the Government by Mr. Barclay. The Premier replied that this innovation would mean a large increase n tho expense of the department, involving the salary of an experienced awyer at each of the large centres. The present staff gives its clients and > tliors every assistance when inquiring about matters relating to adnnnstration. It would be inadvisable to undertake to give advice on contentious matters.

There is a good deal of misapprehension concerning tho liability to rates of lands lu-Id under the Bush and Swamp Act. 1903. Recently tho holder of a section represented to the clerk of tho Clifton County Council that he did not consider himself liablo for tho Mimi-Mokau road special rate, on account of the tenure of the land. Mr. Vaughan replied that section 2 of the Bush and Swamp Act, 1903, provided that this land should he exempt from general rates levied by a local body, but did not apply to special rates levied as security for loans under the Local Bodies’ Loans Act. Tho section in —question having been included in tho special rating area, has become of the security mortgaged for tho raising of the loan, and it is not exempt from the speoial rate. This fact should be better known amongst Crown tenants upon this particular tenure.