Road Boards—The Rating Act.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 2, 11 June 1887, Page 2

Road Boards—The Rating Act.

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION SETTLED. Says the N.Z. Herald‘Mr Hamlin has communicated with the Premier respecting an important question raised in the interpretation of the Kiting Act. In the material portion of hie letter, which he has kindly place 1 at my disposal, he says:—“The Chainnan of the Paparata Road Board has called my attention to what he considers an omission in the Baling Act, 1892, and Writes requesting an amendment to the above Act. His contention is this : ‘ Any person buying or leasing property after the valuation rolls are made up has no vote until the next valuation roll is made, which may ba two or three years; whereas persons who have sold or leaded their land, and left the district, may come and exercise their vote, gaining no real interest in the district,” Mr Hamlin, commenting on the Chairman’s note, goes on to say “I do not think the above contention is right. Clause 3of the Rating Act, 1882. favors the above idea, so does clause 33 of the Highways Act, 1882, but I think clause 10 of the Rating Act, 1882, gives the Chairman and Members of the Road Boards power to strike a name off their roll and put another on. I shall esteem it a great favor if you will obtain the opinion of the law officers of the Crown upon the question, so as to set the matter at rest.’’ The Premier’s Secretary writes under instructions as follows :—“ To Mr E. Hainan : Relative to what the Chairman of the Paparata Road Board considers to be an omission in the Rating Act I In reply the Premier desires me to state that the opinion you have expressed as to the question of clause 10 of the Act is the correct one. The Premier is advised that the difficulty suggested by the Chairman is sufficiently met by clause 10, apart from the provisions in the electoral laws as to the amendment of the electoral rolls.’ 1