PLAINS ADMINISTRATION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4440, 14 July 1922, Page 1

PLAINS ADMINISTRATION.

METALLING OF THE ROADS; A PIPIROA DECISION. In connection with the recent conference between the Lands Department officials and the Hauraki Plains County Council Cr, C. W. Parfitt, at Monday’s meeting of the Hauraki Plains Cpnuty Council, tabled a copy of a resolution carried at a meeting of. Pipirpa settlers on the previous Friday. The resolution, which was as follows, had been moved by Mr. Buchanan and seconded by Mr. Knapp. "That this meeting of Hauraki Plains settlers requests the Hauraki Plain,- County Council to insist on provision being made fpr the metalling of any part of the roads in that area which came out in the first and second ballots remaining unmetalled at the time of transfer to the Council.” Cr. Parfitt thought the resolution should have the support of all the settlers on the Plains, and moved that Mr. Buchanan be notified that the spirit of the conditions under which they took up their land is being recognised by the Council, which will co-operate with tne settlers. The motion was seconded and carried. POSSIBLE MISAPPREHENSION. The recent conference was referred to by Cr. Mayn, who stated that the impression had got abroad that the Council had asked that the whole of the Plains should be made subject to a general rate, whereas, in fact,- the Council had asked fpr the whole of the lands tp be made subject to an administrative rate not exceeding %d in the £.

A letter from the .clerk (Mr. E. Welton) to the Minister of Lands, and dated Bth December, j.9|20, has some bearing on the matter. The dealing with the proposal to transfer to the. Council, administration and control of certain lands within this County at present under the Government’s jurisdiction stated : “ I am directed to inform you that my Council has resolved to ask you to amepd the Hauraki Plains Act so as to make all that area of. land contained in the •schedule of the said Act and which has been balloted for and settled for five years and upwards liable to a rate lor the purpose of; paying administrative expenses which are ordinarily payable out of general account, or in the alternative for your Department to pay the Council a grant equal to two-thirds of the administrative expenses. It is estimated that such a rate would amount to about five-six-tenths of a penny in the £ on the capital value. This county was fprced by the alniost unanimous wish of. the Plains settlers, of whom between one half and twothirds within the area exempt from general rates and therefore pay nothing towards the general expenses of the County. Foremost among the promoters of the formation of this County were the Crown tenants, who were and still are exempt from general rates.. My Council recognizes the injustice which is at present being done to those ratepayers who are outside the exemptel area in that they have to bear the whole of the cost of the administration of the County. It is not proposed to make all the ratepayers in the County (that is hospital ratepayers) liable to a genera], rate. The proposal is more to make the occupiers of land in the County liable for the cost of administering the County and to make those whose lands are under the jurisdiction of the Council liable to the ordinary general rate. If this proposal is given effect to then each occupier of land will help to pay for the administration of the County, whi.ch the big majority were instrumental in forming and only those ratepayers outside the area controlled by you. would pay the ordinary general rate. These latter would be an aver increasing body as lands were brought in and settled by your Department and handed over to this County to administer. “ I do not wish you to have the impression that my Council, is endeavouring to interfjer,e with your administration of the Hauraki Plains Act, because on the contrary it is unanimous in its wish for speedy set- ■ emom an.’: i no cving of the I’tens ’