County Revenue from Waste Lands.

Patea Mail, 7 August 1880, Page 3

County Revenue from Waste Lands.

At the County Council meeting on Wednesday, the chairman, Mr Dale, made an interesting statement, showing the- estimated receipts for the current year, in the event of the Colonial Treasurer’s scheme becoming law, whereby Crown and native lands within the Comity would become chargeable with local rates, in lieu of the former subsidies to local bodies. The rateable value of land already sold in the County is £58,614 ; and if a sixpenny rate were imposed on that it would produce £1464 7s, He was informed that in a few weeks a largo portion of the Waimatc Plains will bo placed in the market, and might bo estimated to sell at an average of £5 an acre. The probable amount of land to be sold in the year is 250,000 acres. Taking the rateable value of Crown and native lands within the County at 20s per acre for agricultural and 6s Sd for bush land, as stated in the Government scheme, the County would receive about £21,000 in the year from sales and Crown rates.

Mr Bridge suggested that the Chairman had mistaken the basis of value ; that the 20s and 6s 8d were the estimated capital values, and not animal rateable values of the land. The Chairman contended that if this were so, the County would receive practically nothing from the Government concession, which was supposed to benefit this district so largely. If the 20s and 6s 8d respectively were the capital values, this County would receive from rates on this basis only about £450 a year.

After some conversation, the Chairman promised to ascertain the precise basis of assessment for rating purposes : and the subject chopped. We have abridged the report of this matter until the Government can reply to the inquiry as to the basis of their assessment scheme. The Chairman’s statement was lengthy and interesting, but as its interest depends on the accuracy of his calculation, wc reserve a full report until that is established upon official authority.

A telegram received last night by MiDale from Major Atkinson makes it clear that this County is not to receive the largo benefit indicated in the above remarks of the Chairman. The rateable value of the Crown and native lands is to be 5 per cent, of the estimated capital value of 20s per acre for Crown lands, and only one-half of this per-centagc is allowed on the Gs 8d per acre for native lands. About £350 will bo . the total amount which Patea County is likely to receive, on this basis, as rates from Crown and native lands, in lieu of the previous subsidy of pound for pound of rates. The Government mountain has been in labor, and has brought forth a mouse.