King Country Chronicle Wednesday, May 81, 1911. COUNTY FINANCES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 365, 31 May 1911, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, May 81, 1911. COUNTY FINANCES.

The excellent work done by Cis. Scholes and Hoffman and the County Clerk whilst in Auckland deserves more than passing mention. In a new county like this of Waitomo, every penny collected in rates from a wider field, relieves the burden on the older rateyaers, and enables the county finances to be more effectively worked. The aim before the committee was to inspect the valuation rolls and ascertain which ratepayers were on, and which —of far more im-

portance— were not on. The various councillors for the different riding 3 compiled lists, and these were carefully gone over by the committee, and it was found, as might have been expected, that a very large number of new arrivals in the ccunty has not been added to the roll by the Valuation Depurtment, These names have now been put on, and the consequence is that the additional revenue realisable on the new ratepayers will go a very long way towards paying the working expenses of the Council. We congratulate the committee upon the excellent results attained. Such

vigorous action can oniy have one result. It will mean that the whole of the European settlers and owners in Waitomo County will in future be placed on the roll, and any native owners, if available, will be added as time goes on. The Waitomo County Council is undertaking some immense roading and metalling works, and expending some fairly large sums in special rates and Government grants. Within a couple of years, something like £50,000 will have been expended, and thirty or forty miles of metalled roads be laid down. The influence of this on the prosperity of the county, and the county town, it js almost impossible to fully realise. It means rapid transit facilities, with frequent communication between town and country. It means lower rates for carting produce and supplies and a reduced cost of Jiving to the backblock settlers, and it breaks up that terrible isolation under which our settlers' wives and families live in the remote parts of the county. The work of roading and bridging, therefore, is of vita! importance to every resident and settler, and in spreading the rating net over a wider area, the Council are doing what is only equitable and just to those settlers who have been paying rates all along, and while lightening the burden all round, are bringing in a greatly increased revenue for county purposes.