LAKE COUNTY REVENUE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 410, 3 February 1877, Page 3

LAKE COUNTY REVENUE.

Soke time ago we pointed out that, of all the Otago Counties, Lake County would Fave tbe worat; also that, to raise enough funds to enable last yerr'e expenditure to be equalled, a rate to bring in at least £4SCO would be needed. It now appears that the position is worse than we expected. The 'Mail' writes thus: —"So far as we can ascertain from the Clerk of Lake County Council the assessable worth of the County property, as set down in the valuation list, is, in round numbers, about £3400. TV* would produce, at. ; a 6d rate, £SSO, a sum so small as to excite a smile of contempt. Even, granted'that the whole rate is collectable at Is. in the £l, the result would still be very small. The return handed us is a very disappointing one indeed. We were under the impression: that the rateable value of the County property would be at least £sojooo per annum. Vincent County will Exceed this one in revenue because of the value of the pastoral lands and tenements thereon, and its revenue will further exceed ours by reason of its goldfields* Teturns. "We admit that the assessment is very low indeed in this jCounty, but still we were not prepared for such small aggregate results." The kictual assessment for the County is given:— .

Cardrona (raining riding) ...£294119 1 Matukitxdd (ditto) - ... ;.. Sbotdver (ditto) ... 5626 15 0 Arrow (partly mining and agri-v ': / cultural) ... ... , ....„ 6616 19 0 Queenstown ; (agricultural audi. ~. v -pastoral) "... : ' "... : ... 7610 1 6 Greenstone (pastoral) .'. - :..' 2019 "3' 9 Jftartia's.Bay (ditto)---..-.*——.■«<•■ 160—0-0 Kingfetbn ... ... ... 7068 10 0

|*,«.;-.. | Total -,.. ... £33,903 4 10 i jit isifair to give the Clerk of the CoixrfI oil's letter to the Treasurer, which '"holds put,expectations pf .better, re ve-. ; jone. The' compact !in 'the Ministers' room- is alone worth attention, especi- • ally jf violated by Ministers:.— Lake County Council, Queenstown, 23rd January,dß77. Sir* —I have the honor to transmit ycii the'enclosed declaration of the Chairman of this Council (./. O. M'Ardell, Esq.) with an appended valuation of property in this County. _ The statement calls for an explanation, which I now proceed to give, as follows: 1. The valuation is made up necessarily from returns now first to hand. We have no Eoad Boards in this District, arid no valuation of any general or definite character Bas hitherto been made. 2. The valuation submitted is too low, and' will for the year ending March, 1878, be of increased amount when the Valuation Lists pass through the Assessment Court. _ I have also the honor to call your attention to the question of handing over to this body the revenue arising from the rents of those depasturing licensees, who acquired under such curious proceedings a portion of the i Wakatip Goldßelds Commonage. I need not : enter into the merits of this question; a« yon

are so fully conversant- with" it, "but'"l- m&f point out that I always imderslood, and .so'did .V.j.\ Pyke. at Wteliinyton.that the rente .from tlio alienation of this ami ot!:cr yOidiiv.li.ls commonages became County proj.orty. PeiWiudly, I shall address you sixain iipon this'matter —one that was pressed upon the notice of your colleague, Mr. Bowsn, when Here. He (Mr Bowon) was again infonied tliat -without these rents the County sysiom was almost valueless —if not perfectly Valueless-M;o this.district. In?the meantime I have informed this Council—4o whom 1-act" as Clerk the position of masters, and as I the compact in your own rooi/i and lit the. House. They Iv.wu authorised, by resolution, action being t'-keu in the matter, .but "all- persons interested have been anxiously awaiting the reply. of your honorable colleague, -whdpromised'to submit the matter to you and his other colleagues. 1 have tkerefore,"on behalf of this Cbuiic.il, to. ask the decision of your Government upon the question. It is one of vital importance to this Council and the district it represents.—l have?the. honor to: be, &c., H. Mandbrs, '•'. / Clerk to Council. Tb.e Honorable the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington. . ,