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King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 432, 20 January 1912, Page 5

The purchase of land by the Government for the erection of workers' dwellings is not always an unmixed advantage to the locality. A recent report to the Petone Borough Council stated: —"The lands in the Wilford and Heretaunga Settlements to the extent approximately of 73 acres, are still non-rate-producing. The Government valuation of this land is £41,632. The rates payable on it would amount to £656 Os Gd per annum. This amount has to be met by the Petone ratepayers, and to the owner of a section valued at £250 this represents an annual levy of 4s lUd. This is practically the amount that each sectionholder pays in Petone because the Government some six years ago undertook the purchase of expensive land for whcih they can find no use." In other words, the Government, which does not pay rates, purchased this land and thus robbed the Borough Council of the rates which it previously obtained from the owners of the land. All private owners of property, who are competed against by the Government in the matter of securing tenants for their houses, not only have to pay the ordinary rates, but are mulcted also in the extra amount necessary to