Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1898. Rating Acts Amendment.

Manawatu Herald, 5 August 1893, Page 2

Manamatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1898. Rating Acts Amendment.

We congratulate the Hon Mr Ward on having introduced the above Bill into the House of Representatives. It has been carefully framed to puzzle every member and is the most cumbrous proposal to amend local rating that has ever entered into the heart of man to conceive. The framers of the measure have got mixed as the following extract will show. In section one of the above Bill it is set out " For this purpose, sections four to eighteen, and twenty to thirty four, and the Ist to the sth Schedules of " The Rating Act 1876," as the same are amended by seotions 11 to 18 of " The Rating Act 1876, Amendment Act 1879 " shall, on the ' first day of January in the year 1895

come into force within all districts wherein " The Rating Bet 18S2 " is in force; and from the last mentioned day sections :•} to 11 and the first schedule of " The Haling Act 18H2" shall be entirely repealed." This seems to make it very clear, at the start, that the above sections of the Acts shall be in force or repealed sis stau-d, liufc it is not so, as the hmendnient by sections 11 and 18 of the .1870 Act interferes in no way ■with the sections -i to 18 ot the 1876 Act. But when we gat to section 3 of the new Bill we find it stated thai; " in section (i of ' The Rating A<-i l«70 ' ' the word "February" shall b« substituted for •January;' and in sections 12, lfl, 10 and 18 of Unit Act the. word ' March ' shall be | substituted for ' February ; ' so what was said in section one of the Bill about these sections coming into force as they appear in the Acts is incorrect. Many Governments lay traps for the unwary, but this Bill lays more and with such cunning that local bodies will have all they know how to do to keep out of them. We again illustrate our statement by referring to clause one of this Bill, in which it states that sections 4 to 18 of the 1876 Act shall come into force with the Bill, yet section 4 of this wonderful Bill repeals section 9 of " The Rating Act 1876 " and substitutes a new one in its place. This is law making after a fashion and is most unfair and misleading. The Bill after stating so many sections of an old Act are to be accepted as being embodied in it, amends five sections and repeals one. The reason for the wonderful confusion appears to be the desire to hide the extra cost about to be thrown upon • the country settler. Those local bodies who have accepted the Property Tax valuation have received a copy free, except as to the cost of making a transcription, but the Bill by referring back to the old Act of 1876 introduces the fact that local bodies will have to make their own assessments. Without any effort of genius, the old fashioned bait of being permitted to tax Native lands is again dangled before the noses of our local public men. This ha3 been tried before and abandoned and will be again. Rating Native land is simplicity itself, and so must th? members of the local bodies be who expect to collect it. We notice that Mr Ward has a section in his Bill carefully providing that these lands shall not be sold for rates without the sanction of the Trust Commissioner, and he has also provided that the Colonial Treasurer shall pay no further rates on these lands. If this Part If of the Bill passes the local bodies will be burdened with work and very little enriched by attempting to collect the rates now so kindly offered to them. Part 111 of the Bill is the machinery by which the new proposals to raise local taxation on unimproved values may be brought about. Twenty ratepayer.? can compel the Mayor or Chairman to take a vote of the ratepayers upon this idea, and we predict very much misfortune to the districts who rush too blindly for it. The Bill defines the " Unimproved value of land '' to be the actual capital value of land aa assessed by the local b'jdy of the district, less all improvements thereon : and " Improvements " inalude houses and buildings, feucing, planting, draining of land,- clearing from timber, scrub or fern, laying down in grass or pasture, and any other improvements whatsoever, the benefit of which is unexhausted at the time of valuation. Residents in this district at any rate can make a pretty shrewd guess at what value the property in the surrounding neighbourhood would come down to valued on this basis. The whole increased value to our lands has been given to them by the improvements- made, so that the " unimproved " value puts them at the state they were in covered with, bush, flax and water. The drop would be from seven pounds an acre to one pound an acre, but however experts may agree to differ as to the actual variation in value, we do no imagine for a moment that anyone will say that the improvements do not a long way exceed half the value of the property. It is to this point we wish to arrive as the Government in this Bill suggests that is all the difference there is and therefore only increases the power of rating to an amount double what it has ) hitherto been,: and .on the considerably reduced rateable values. The local bodies have now not the amount they need for roadmaking and if they foolishly accept the proposals made they will find themselves most seriously crippled to carry on the work of opening up the country districts. The Bill, we trust, will not pass, anyhow in its present disgracefully confused state, and if ! such proposals are thought wise and best, the Rating Acts should all be repealed and a clear and compiled new Bill prepared.

The adjourned meeting of the Lawn Tennis Club is fixed for Monday evening. The travelling allowances paid to Ministers during the year ending 31st March last amounted to £876. Tenders are invited for work on, the. Foxton, racecourse, flans and . specifications can be seen at Messrs McMillan, Rhodes & Co.'s store. The Manawatu County Council meets at Sanson on Wednesday.

Messrs Gorton and Ron hold their stock ! sale at Dulls on Tuesday. The Borough Council meet on Monday. The Star says we hear that Mr A. W. F. Halcombo will probably again become a resident in Feilding. At a Committee meeting of the Foxton Baring C ub last evening it was decided to call for tenders for the alterations and im* provements suggested at the annual meeting, ami iu accordance with thp plans then exhibited, and Messrs McMillan, Kobinson and Dudson wore empowered to open and accept tenders. A letter was received from the Rangitikei Racing Club enclosing resolution passed at their annual meeting ?v country clubs having representation on Metropolitan bodies, and asking for this Club's Co-opera 'ion. It was also decided to l>o.<l all defaulters after one month's notice had been given. An old and a very favourite song asserts that some of the most famous of English victories was the result of a young lady having persuaded " Her Mark to go." Eeasoning on similar lines we might say that the rain which has fallen unceasingly from Wednesday evening to early this morning has arisen from our having persuaded "our Good Templars to go" to Sanson on Tuesday night. We advocated the claims to cold water so vehemently that we " got it !) in every sense and now we find we would be better without it. Next time our well intentioned friends pay a visit to their neighbors we must request that they make less blow and rain about it. Better try without all those musical instruments next time. We are glad says the Examiner to learn that Captain Bussell is arranging to take up the dairy industry, and is inquiring about families to settle on the Flaxmere Estate to do the milking. We congratulate Captain Russell on this step in the right direction, and on his setting such a good example to his fellow runholders around Hastings, as it would mean largely increasing the population and prosperity of the district. Thursday's Wanganui Chronicle says the schools in town will be closed from tomorrow until further notice, the prevailing epidemic of measles having militated to too great an extent against the attendance to allow of them being kept open. The fact o£ the schools being closed to-morrow will afford an opportunity for all children who care to do so to participate in the observance of Arbor Day by assisting in the tree-planting operations in the ground of St. John's Infants' School. A deadlock has occurred between the Nelson Town School Committee and the Education Board. The latter appointed a headmaster, transferred from a country district, without the invitation of applications as recommended by the committee, and the latter have closed the school. It is expected that the board will take forcible possession of the school. After taking legal advice, the Education Board re- ■ trained from forcing an entrance into the present boys' school, but have taken the Princess Rink, and notified to the teachers and parents that it will be opened as a school to-morrow morning. The School Committee also have taken advice, and, bearing out that they have the sole control of the schools, with power to eject any person not acknowledged by them as a teacher, are announcing the re-opening of the school on Friday, they having arranged for carrying on tho work by a slight shifting of teachers. It is said that the teachers are now taking advice. His Honor tho Chief Justioe had bsfore him on Wednesday, says the Times, the lioensing case of Parameue One Ons and Mohi te Atahitekoia v. the Havelock Licensing Committee and Win. Moroney, publican, in whioh the plaintiffs sought to prohibit the committee from graniing a renewal of the license of the Pakipaki Hotel to Moroney, chiefly on the ground that proper notioe of intention to apply for a renewal had not been given. The committee at first adjourned the application, and at the subsequent hearing granted the license on the strength of an Order inCouucil rectifying tho omission with regard to notice. Sir Robert Stout supported the application, and Mr C. B. Morison opposed. His Honor quashed the certificate granting the license, holding that the provisions of tho Licensing Act with ivgard to notices by applicants are imperative, and that tin Order-in-Coancil purporting to validate the applicant's notico was ultra vires tho Statute, section 227, which only applies to actions of officials. Costs would be according to scale. A sensational incident happened at FitzGerald Bros. Circus, performing in Sydney. During a lion-act Humphreys, the tamer, was in the cage making two lionesses perform. It was noticed that the lion was in a bad temper, an suddenly, to the horror of the spectators, he bounded behind Humphreys and caught his right arm in his mouth. Humphreys then wrenched himself round, fortunately releasing himself. As he did so it was seen that the sleeve of hie tunic and shirt had been ripped away, leaving only the shreds of tho shirt on his arm. He had also been clawed by ihe lion, and the whole of the skirt of Ins tunic had been torn away. For the moment it was not known whether he had been hurt, but as he stood confronting the enraged animal, blood was seen to discolour the remnants of his shirt. The spectators rose in excitement, fearful that a terrible accident would happen, but Humphreys continued the performance as if nothing had occurred, and calmness was quickly restored. The Premier aud Minister for Mines were present. After the act a medical examination of Humphreys showed that he had been severely wounded in three plaoss to a depth of 2Ain, the bone being exposed in each case. The three lions are over 18 months old, and had been in training for only three weeks. The Christchuroh Pre3« has been requested to publish the following : — Messrs Nicholson and Patterson, solicitors, 23, Parliament- street, London, advise their Christehurch correepondents to the following effect : " Messrs Harper and Co. —At a meeting held in London on the 14th June of the representatives of the English creditors of Messrs Harper and Co., the following resolutions were passed, and it was arranged that a copy of same should be forwarded to their attorney in New Zealand, with instructions to act in accordance therewith — ' That step3 be taken to prevent the discharge of Messrs Harper and Co.' ' That the Public Proescutor in New Zealand be moved to prosecute Messrs Harper and Co., and to take such other proceedings as may be available against them, including an application to the Law Society to strike them off the rolls.' "

Extraordinary success has marked our Great Salvage Sale at the Te Aro i ouse t Branch, Main-street. . I But all good things come to an end and so 'will this Salvage Sale. We shall positively close it on Saturday next. A few days only remain in which our wonderful Salvage bargains can be Becured, so look lively, and secure them without 1 delay.

! Those who ave wise will profit by this annonncemeut and hurry up to the sale during its last days and thereby save money. Those who are dilatory will miss this last chance of buying cheaply, and will lament ever afterwards. But this need not be. There is time yet to secure the biggest bargains of the sale, only a few days however. We cannot prolong the sale beyond Saturday next at the Te Aro House Branch, Main-street, Fox ton. As showing the wonderful development and steady progress of Colonial Manufactures during the past year or Uo, it is worthy of note that Messrs Ross & Sakd-i-orb, of the Bon Marche, Palmerston North, are now retai ing to the public Men's All-wool Colonial Tweed Suits at the wonderful low price of One Pound, quite as good as what could be bought a short time back for double this mone)\ This firm are now holding a gigantic Clearing Sale of the whole of their extensive and valuable stock and it will be to the interest of buyers of Clothing and General Drapery to pay them an early visit. — Advt.