RATING NATIVE LANDS.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 89, 10 May 1895, Page 2

RATING NATIVE LANDS.

(to the editor.) Sir,—Kindly allow me to place be] fore the numerousreaders of your paper"tha~ action of the Taranaki County Council with reference to native lands. For the information of ratepayers in the Parihaka Riding, I propose to lay before them the bare facts in as few words as possible. The Council has been a bit slow, I 'admitfl but no time has been lost by me in pushing this matter. I was guided by Mr Roy's opinion. He stated to me that the lands had to be valued and put on the valuation roll. When- the valuators were appointed, I moved in the Council that the valuator for the Parihaka Riding be instructed to place on the roll the Public Trustee and all natives occupying lands in the Parihaka Riding, and a tabulated return made out by the valuator, showing the rateable value of lands held by the natives and Public Trustee. The amount is £84,741. The natives have been placed on the roll, and also th« Public Trustee. The Public Trustee has been informed by the cle*k that his name has been placed on the ro'l for all property he is trustee for in the Parihaka Riding. Other local bodiei may act in any way they desire, but I am of opinion that I went about it in proper legal form. Some four months ago I suggested to the Council to ask other local bodies in Taranaki to assist in a test case. The Council agreed? but deferred until the roll was completed and the rate struck. I shall be only too happy to place all documents in connection with the above in the hands of the energetic chairman of the Waimate Road Board. I intend to see this matter out before I leave the Taranaki County Council.—l am, T. McGloin. Rahotu, May 7th, 1895. P.S.—I think I might take a little credit on myself for getting the Rating Act amended, *as I was the first person in any local body to get a private legal opinion from a solicitor. When I got the solicitor's opinion, I wrote to Messrs McGuireand Smith, M.H.R.'s, requesting them to get a clause inserted in the Rating Act, so as to make all lands held by natives and the Public Trustee liable for rates. The much-abused Mr McGuire got the Rating Act amended in the direction indicated by me, and ratepayers can see copies of the letters I sent to Messrs McGuire and Smith on the above subject. It seems to me the more a man tries to do on these local bodies the more he is abused, and I must say it is rather disheartening. T. McG.