RATES FROM NATIVE LANDS.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 14, 17 August 1894, Page 3

RATES FROM NATIVE LANDS.

(to the editor.) Sir,—ln your issue of July 20tb, you published a return which was laid before the Parihaka Road Board at its meeting on July 16th, purporting to be the receipts in aid of, and the expenditure on, certain roads within the Parihaka Road district. This return makes ifc appear that the roads mentioned had not had the full amount expended on them to which they were entitled, by. the sum of £313 Os sd, and in connection therewith Mr McHardy made the statement " That now they had the return it was clearly .shown that settlers on the native leases had not had their fair share of of 'expenditure, their money having been taken and spent on roads on which Crown lands abutted." Now, sir, I have it on substantial authority that the amount of native rates recerflsd, as shown in the return, viz., 1801 17s 4d, was derived from the whole of the native lands included within the Parihaka Road District. Such beiug the case, I would ask any member of the Board or any rateyayer to take a plan of the district and run through the list of roads, other than thote named in the return, on which rative reserves are situated, and which are entitled to their share of the native rates, viz., Newall, Pungarehu, Cape, Parihaka, Tipoka, Kahui (west), Rahotu, Manihi, and Beach Roads. Then pative lands abut pa the Ngarikj. Road on one side throughout its whole length, from the main road to the forest reserve, a distance of about eight qr nine milog. Oa the Kahui (east) Road native lands abut on both sides for a distance of five and threequarter miles. The same may be said of the Opourapa Road ; also for

about 2 miles on one side of the Okaha Road, connecting the Kahui and Ngariki Roads. In addition to this, there is a new block just surveyed between the Ngariki and Arawata Road—all native lands. In this block it will be found that there are eight or 10 miles of roads. Then when the balance of the native land between the Arawata Road and the Tauugatara is surveyed, it will be found to increase the roading by at least 12 or 15 miles. There is also a large area still left between the Newall Road and Stony River back to the Forest Reserve, which will require fully 15 miles more roading—all of which will be entitled to a share of the back rates. Let any leaseholder who thinks his road has not received its share, tot up the above figures—reckon up the mileage or roads included in the return —then divide the number of pounds received as rates by the number of miles of road, and I fancy he wil think it a pity to say any more about it. I claim to have some little knowledge on the subject, and feel no-hesitition in saying that if the matter is gone into in a proper manner it will be found that the roads mentioned in the return have received an amount largely in excess of that to which they were entitled. The return shows that they have actually expended £4BB 16s lid out of the total amount of £BOI 17s 4d received as rates from native lauds throughout the whole road district. I would suggest, now that the subjeet has been carried so far, that the Board appoint a sub-committee —say one native leaseholder and one freeholder —who, with the clerk, shall go through the books from the commencement and thoroughly investigate the matter, so that it may be settled in a fair and just manner." Until something of this kind is done, there will always be a feeling of antagonism between the two classes of occupants. Apologising for the length of my remarks, 1 am, &c, Ratepayer. Rahotu, August 10th, 1894.