RATING NATIVE LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 538, 1 February 1913, Page 5

RATING NATIVE LANDS.

UNDETERMINED TITLES. THE PRINCIPLE AFFIRMED. The following remit with respect to rating native land was moved by Major Lusk at the conference of the Backblock Local Bodies Association: —"That all native lands, whether subdivided or not, shall be liable to local rating, and where the owners are not known or individual titles are undetermined the rates shall be a registered first charge against the land and that in case of neglect or refusal of a native owner to pay rates due, his land may be sold to liquidate the Bame, as is the law for the Europeans." Mr Meredith, in supporting the remit, instanced the existence of a native block in Whangamomona county which had increased in value from 7s 6d an acre to £2 in consequence of roading facilities which had been provided by the European ratepayers. The chaicman said that at present all native land to which the titles had been determined was ratable. The natives themselves were desirous of getting the titles determined but they were powerless to do so. • Mr Ryan said he thought it would be doing a wrong to the Maoris to have the land charged with rates when it was impossible for the natives to do anything in the matter. Mr Bacon, Whangamomona, said he thought - there was a good deal to be said ir< favour of the remit. If the land was held for some time it would be enhanced in value to a much greater extent than any liability for rates and there would be no hardship on the owners when the titles were determined. The same could be said of Crown land.

Mr Kennington, Clifton, said the Crown land belonged to the people of the Dominion including the natives, while native land belonged to individuals.

On the .suggestion of Mr Howarth the remit was amended to eliminate any reference to other than undetermined land and cutting out the registration against the land. The amended remit was adopted.

The following remit from the Waitomo Couny Council was discussed: "That section 12 of the 'Rating Amendment Act, 1910,' be amended to provide that a native owner who has paid more than his proportion of rates may on production of bis rate receipt to a judge of the Native Land Co Tt obtain a charging order on the land for the amount so paid in manner similar to that provided by sections 398 and 399 of 'The Native Land Act, 1909,' relating to survey." Mr Mora explained that an owner interested in a block might be willing to pay 2 the rates on the block, but in order to give reasonable pro> tection to such owner the suggested amendment was necessary. The remit was adopted.