PETITION

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 252, 8 September 1877, Page 2

PETITION

The following is a copy of petition adopted by the County Council, and forwarded to Loth Houses ot Assembly, at Wellington,.ami to each member:To the Honorable the Speaker and Honorable Members -oj the Legislative Council of New Zealand , and of the House of Representatives , in Parliament assembled. The humble Petition of the County Council of Patea, shewetii — 1, That by the “ New : Plymouth Harbor Board Endowment Act, the Provincial Council or Taranaki was empowered to grant to the New Plymouth Harbor Board, as an endowment, an amount not exceeding one-fourth part of the annual Laud Revenue.

2. That the said Provincial Council passed an Ordinance, under the title of the “ New Plymouth Harbor Board Ordinance, 1875,” granting to the said Harbor Board the extreme amount ot one-fourth of the Land Revenue of the Province.

3. That besides. passing to the New Plymouth Harbor Board certain endowments in lands which had been previously set apart for Harbor purposes, the said Ordinance empowers the Board to levy an annual- rate on’.all, lands withip. the Province lying between the Mokau and Waingongoro Rivers, and between Wanganui .River and the sea, an -area which includes almost the whole of thp County of Taranaki, and a large portion of the County of Patca. 4. That this Laud Tax is to be levied at the rate of twopence per pound on the unimproved selling value, or about three shillings and fourpeiice in the pound on the annual value of rural lauds. 5. That :the aforesaid. Ordinance empowers,the Board to borrow - money not only upon the security of the Laud Re venire and' landed endowments,’ but also upon the produce of the, rate which it is authorised to levy on Land. d.: That- the Board can borrow-to the extent of £350,000, at. 6 ipcr c ®nt. P er annum; but your--Petitioners believe that the Board ’is negotiating for a -loan of £200,000, at a rate considerably below par, the terms of which give a lien upon all sources of revenue which - can be pledged. 7. That ’such* source■ comprises onefourth -of -the: .Land Revenue and; pnethird of the rateable , property within your petitioners’ County. -8. That your petitioners believe that the money proposed to be taken from this .County to be expended in Harbor works at New Plymouth, would' be'an extravagant waste/ and would prove an effectual bar to’future prosperity, and that all -.rates; and- .other sources r of revenue .will be .urgently required to open uj> the 'County for.settlement.. , , ~9lTUat, your' petitioners .view with alarm the powers possessed by: the 2£ew Ply month. Harbor. .Board* in.d^.their, interests being so far removed from New Plymouth, .and having a Harbor, Board within, their County,, and a river capable of great improvement, any . land food, your petitioners could possibly spare

lifter making the roads necessary to open tip their inland could be expondwLto very groat proii t to themselves mu],to the general benefit of w|>ph th&, said N [Your pptipphcrs■therefore' numbly pray that the New Plymouth Harbor Board Ordinance, 1875,-b rhay be repealed, thereby releasing their Land Fund, and freeing that portion 5 of their, County lying between the Waingougoro and their Northern boundary.from special taxation. And.your petitioners will over .pray,.&c: ■ " V G. F,'SHERWOOD,. | ■- --Chabman-Patoa-County- Council. The Sea! of tho'Patea County Council was this day affixod,~in tdie;presence of ♦JOH&nBLACEj <" j. Clerk'to County Council. .. iCarlyle, September 5, 1877. -. . .il