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Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1923, Page 2

As regards any change in the rating system the whole onus rests upon the ratepayers. The Council may not. on its own initiative, change from one system to another. A rating system having been adopted, it may be changed only by a. favorable poll of the ratepayers; and the poll itself can he authorised hv the Council, only on a favorable petition from the ratepayers. In respect to the introduction of rating on unimproved values, t he lou provides that the Council must be petitioned. and the petition requires in the ease of the Westland County to bear fifteen per cent of the signatures of the County ratepayers,. There are we understand, about 1.-100 ratepayers in Westland County so that something over two hundred signatures praying for a poll would he required. The County Chairman pointed this out at tlie meeting on Tuesday, and said that in reality the initiative should have come from the ratepayers directly. Mr Chinn explained, however, that lie was acting on behalf of two considerable groups of settlors and the circulation of the petitions through all post offices was decided upon so as to tap all parts of the scattered settlements. The matter is to come up Tor review again at next Council meeting, when a report on the merits of the matter is to be made by the Treasurer of the Council. The Council nevertheless, cannot stay its hand if the ratepayers produce the legally compiled petition, and then the decision passes to the ratepayers. Tlie report, however, will lie worth waiting for as no doubt it will Throw some special light on the subject, and it will be of interest fo note how the various classes of ratepayers would he affected. One thing is certain. and that is those holding large areas of land, whether improved or not, will find their rates increased under the change in systems and this might' tend either to more use being made of the land in question, or of the land being sub-divided. This is the main idea of unimproved rfitins—that it shall ha a

lover to tho utilisation of the land, j This general principle will find much , support, but it remains to be seen how j far other conditions which might work adversely can bo equalised.

Tub public meeting convened at the Town Hall for to-morrow forenoon to discuss the question of a central dairy factory for tho district, is worthy of the attention alike of both the town and country people. In the ordinary course centralisation is a profitable form of management, and it appears to be particularly so in this case, because if it is not' adopted there must be a number of small factories spread about the district to cope with the local supplies. The management of such would run into a considerable amount, and the average overhead charges would thus he substantial. In this district dairying is going to grow, and with facilities for handling the dairy products conveniently and cheaply there would he the quicker growth. It has been the experience elsewhere that central factories are extremely well patronised, and their expansion is only a matter of time, once the institutions are established. The time for considering the proposal here is very opportune" 1 . At the moment we are on the threshold of a now era towards which people are looking very expectantly. There is a feeling of optimism abroad and a readiness to co-operate to help take advantage of tho opportunities likely to present themselves, and so assist to forge the district ahead. At this particular time, also, a large dairy factory is contemplated at TCoiterangi ; rebuilding is spoken ot at Txokatahi, and additions are contemplated at Arahura. These three coutios have all proved the value of dairying, and they are all within easy range of Hokitika. It becomes therefore a proposition for the settlers mainly to determine as to the scope of their support to the centralised idea. If the country people are prepared to come into the scheme to the extent that has been foreshadowed, it would be for the townspeople to co-operate also in assisting to finance the scheme, by Incoming shareholders. No doubt at the meeting tomorrow practicable proposals will be put forward, and there should be a large attendance to evidence Hie interest felt in an undertaking which should give dairying within a fair radius of Hokitika, that impetus which the future of the district and its icsourcos warrant so greatly.