NATIVE RATES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4935, 5 February 1926, Page 2

NATIVE RATES.

DIFFICULTY OF COLLECTION.

PROPOSAL BY TAURANGA COUNTY.

The difficulty and heavy expense entailed by some county councils in the v Election of rates from native landowners is always a hard problem to solve. At yesterday’s meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council the following suggestion was received from the Tauranga County Council in respect to' the provisions of the Native Land Rating Act, 1924 : —

“This council has been considering the questoin of native rates, and the scheme of lodging lienst against titles has also been considered. The objection, however, to this i.s the fact that the fee of ten shillings has to be lodged in each case, ,and this means an amount of over £3OO annually to this, council. The suggestion has'been made that the Audit Department should examine the prepared lists of native rates and arrears, and after certifying to: same, forward them to the Native Lancto office in each district, the council paying the wages of an extra clerk employed in registering these amounts against the .titles, and in this way save a huge expense on a scheme which at the present time is only a doubtful means of recovering rates.”

The chairman said that native r.atesl did not concern the Ohinemuri county very greatly.

Or. Morgan thought the resolution was well worth supporting, and this was agreed to. It was also decided to forward a copy of the resolution to the N.Z. Counties’ Association .and the Native Affairs Department.