AN UNSATISFACTORY POSITION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2213, 10 June 1908, Page 2

AN UNSATISFACTORY POSITION.

UNCOLLECTED NATIVE RATES. A BURDEN ON EUROPEANS. (Special to “Times.”) , .AUCKLAND, June 9. At a meeting of the Raglan County . Council, it was decided not to endeavor -to collect tllie native .rate, as .under tile existing legislation it was possible to do s o. The olcrk out that,for the year 1906-7 the native rates totalled £1223, and .the umouut collected wlas £3, and for the 'y l e 1 1 o?r 8 onl y £G collected out eo'M 3l V <! e > ' totail °f £ 9 cut of £2039. io tLiis wa.s to be added- the loss or subsidy.'and the increased contributions to the Hospital Board due t 0 these lands being .included in the rating urea and the large amount of speora.l rates not paid iby natives. Roughly qpoak: lig, the endeavor to collect rates-from Hie natives has cost the County in two years (counting in the amount of rates not collected, hosto™’'aml expenses) at least LooOO. lip to .Jiuno 30th, 1907, the Eiii-oimhhs Iliad paid the sum of £2.00 out of o possible sum of £2960, but instead of getting some in subsidy as 'was expected., tilie uncollected natite rates, amounting to £I2OO, were set off (igiihst the amount collected. and only £l6O yvas received in subsidy. Ihe European ratepayers thus suffered a loss eif £IOO through, no fault of their own. This year, to nfnSn J lbe Ei :.~opeans have paid £43(0 out of £4420 of general rates, leaving only £SO uncollected. The'. natives, .however, have only paid £6 out of £1316. and • I a subsidy were now applied for, the full uncollected amount of £1366 yvould he set offagainst the Europem total.paid, and a great loss of subsidy might again result- If the natives’ rates were not ■included, only £SO would remain mncodected, and nearly the total subsidy yvould be obtained.