COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1928, Page 4

COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY

By Telegraph:—Press Assn., Copyright

WELLINGTON, July ;j 10. A Commission recently took evidence in Otaki ,I'or the purpose of seeing if something general could not be oh-, tained to solving the problem of heavy rating in boroughs, but, says the Hon. A. I). McLeod to-day, the evidence was too much coloured by local conditions to form a panacea for the rest of the Dominion. The Government lias therefore arranged for the Commission to make a further inquiry into the broad issue of the classification of borough lands for rating purposes, and the levying of different rates hv borough coupcils.

After careful consideration of all the complaints that have been received from various places, both by Mr McLeod and by the Department of Internal Affairs, the Borough of Feilding has been selected for the inquiry, a.' this Borough gives a typical example of the classes of lands, and the hardships of the farming community thereof, but has not the abundance of local difficulties that Otaki had. The Commission will commence its inquiries at the Courthouse at Feilding on Monday next, July 16th. at 10 a.m. The personnel of the Commission will be the same as the Otaki one, viz: Messrs R-. M. Watson, S.M. (Fending), W. T- Strand (Mayor of Lower Hutt) and W. Nash (General Secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party) . The order of reference is wide and definite, being in addition to the specific, question of classification in bedding, and a general question submitted to the Commission as follows: “Whether in the event of your reporting in favour of a system of classification ol lands or differential rating, or both, or in favour of some other means of variation of rating in the Borough of Feilding, is it in your opinion practicable or desirable to apply the system, or means so. recognised by you, to the boroughs, which include, or formerly included, lands used and occupied for farming purposes, and if so, by what method.” If the principle is found applicable

to boroughs which contain a proportion of farm lands, and' is put into operation, bona fide farmers' will obtain a. certain amount of relief in the matter of the payment of borough rates, and the owners of town sections will bo called upon, to pay a higher rate more in, proportion to tlie benefits received, by them.