Rates and Rating.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 25 March 1890, Page 2

Rates and Rating.

When the General Government want money for either the Property Tax, Sheep Kates, or o^ber purposes, they think it no wroug to call upon those liible for the same, to " stand and deliver " oc in other word?, to furnish every information against themse'vea, "Why is this ? Simp y because the cost of procuring this information by any other means would be too costly, and as it is for the good of the whole Colony, it is therefor best tha: every exponse should be saved Id this we agiee with them, but we fail to see where the real difference lies between what is good for the colony, and what is good for a local 'oody. "We will admit that for the Property Tax the Government have a valuation made, but what other steps does it enforce? That the owner shall also make his valuation and forwad it to them for comparison with their valuer s, and they hold themselves entitled to accept which they please. By these means the acouracy of the valuer is tested, and no property is lost sight of. We will further say that the Government bffer their valua£ona to the looal bodies, cut owing to various reasons, some, that the valuation being made on the value instead of the rental makes it of little use to the smaller towns, and that it becomes an old valuation before it is ready for use, ! the offer has not been freely accepted The point we wish to produce for comparison is the method the Government think fair and wise to obtain their money, to the means they provide for local bodies to obtain theirs. Any Road Board or Borough acting for itself, has to employ a valuer who is always subjected to i much difficulty in obtaining his information, as he has only his own exertions to rely upon, and in cases of absenteeism, he has fre. quently to leave a blank. We have known plenty of cases where land has been missed from an owners list, yet he can safely sit by, and osoape paying such portion of his share. If i it is right to call upon owners to disclose their property for purposes of taxation, it seems that it should surely be, when the sums demanded of them are to be spent in the improvement of their neighbourhood, actually increasing the value of it. i Yet our legislators think otherwise. Not only can the local body be harrassed to find the owner, but after he ia found, and rates are due, the law still hampers the local body from recovering them . We will gire an example. Suppose A the owner of land yielding 20s worth of rates a year, is outside of Jthe area of the board, and all the formalities have been strictly carried out in making a valuation, getting it passed, notices having bean sent to him, the rate struck, and. another notice having been forwarded, he may, ifheiaa* some ratepayers axe, remain quiet and ignore the board. The local body is composed of good natured members, regret the delay of A, pass it over till the next rate becomes due and then they send him a bill for the twojeara. The financial year commences on the first of April and ends on the thirty first of March each year, but it is seldom, except by great promptness, that a rate is really !ready for collection till June. Our defaulter A has only to try the patience of the board till April, and then the Act steps in and says, you cannot recover the firsfc 20s, you should have done so earlier. In the case of an absentee the board would not be likely to proceed so sharp and therefore if» money out of pooket, This is bad enough, but the cases of where land baa been purchased by strangers, and owing to the support given to those who desire not to pay rates, the valuer hns been unable to define, the sections has the name of " owner " recorded against it. It is almost beyond belief the trouble tbat hats bwn fr*m«d to l«t tbii kcky

ma 1 (-If contributing his share of the bnr.?«n cast nn a I who live in new districts. The Board has without doubfc o itMeon- year's rates, and it haft to be very active to get any at nil. 'he Board is saddled with the duty to make • due inqniry " after which a anmm -ns can be obtained 1 ur, it has to be publicly notified, and the B -ard has to provide in advance the Sams necessary for these pur p"B83. If -b»» judg ment is not ontiafi :l within s ; x rnoi'ths, a cprtificte ia =59 1 1'> he Registrar of the Supreme Court, who then endeavours to give notice to whom he thinkg are the owners, and failing, may, fix months afterwards sell or lease the land. One whole twelve month gone, to save an owner, who must be well aware that he has the property, and that any property in New Zealand must be subject to ratej. The trouble dofis , not cease here, as another rate will hive become 'due, long before all this has been got through, and the process would have to be repeated. The Act also care* fully provides that the costs of the Government are the costs ;first paid. Why are such elaborate provisions made to defend those who shirk th^ir responsibilities? We bave no hesitation in saying that this colony, has lost very large sums through the want oi a simple Act to get at these defaulters. Without doubt it nhould be law tbafCitlis the owner's business to assist the local authorities all he can> and failing which, much more summary powers should be given to them to deal with land so that overdue rates may be secured, and current one f s paid. We do not ask for power of sale, but certainly powers of leasing should be in the hante of the Boards. An alteration in the present system is undoubtedly neces* sary.