PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1880. LAND FUND.

Patea Mail, 9 October 1880, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1880. LAND FUND.

A SUM of £993 13s 10s was received by the County Council on the 9th September, being 20 per cent, of land revenue within the County lor four months ended 31st July. The County is in want’of about £4,300 to cover the deficit for cost of work estimated to be required on County roads during the current twelve months. The expenditure will be about £4,600, and the Council revenue will leave an available balance of about £250. How far will this go towards paying for road works estimated to cost £4,600 ? A sixpenny rate, as last year, would realise about £I3OO, and even a shilling rate would yield only £2,600, leaving nearly £2,000 still deficient. This deficiency must be met, or the County roads will become impassable next winter. through neglect. The land revenue is impounded by the Government, and not a word is said by the County Council, Is it that the Councillors don’t care ? Even the Chairman is silent. It was •the Chairman who told the Council at a previous meeting that the probable amount of land, to be sold within this County during the next twelve-month

was 250,000 acres. He must have

made some enquiry to arrive at his estimate, else what is the estimate worth ? Taking his own figures, and reckoning the 250,000 acres at an average value of only £4 an acre (probably £5), the total receipts would be one million sterling. The County Council would be entitled to 20 per cent., realising two hundred thousand pounds. Some of the land would be subject to a deduction of 15 out of the 20 per cent, towards the Opnnaki railway fund (a fund which has no separate existence, and is merely used by Government as fast as it is got). If one-fifth of the 250,000 acres wore within the Opunake railway area, the Council would not suffer much reduction in its share of land revenue because 50.000 gold in that area would realise at least £8 an acre, making a total of £400,000 ; and allowing 15 per cent, to the Opnnaki railway and 5 per cent, to the County Council, the actual sum due the Council from 50,000 acres near t jat railway would be £20,00u. The other portion of the Chairman’s estimate, 200.000 acres, would yield at £4 an acre £BOO,OOO ; ami 20 per cent, due the Council would bring £160,000. Thus the total due to the Council on the year’s sales would be £lßo,ooo* Part must be allowed for deferred payment allotments—say one-fourth of the whole. The deduction on this account for the Opcnaki portion (5 per cent.) would be say £4,500, and on the remainder about £30,000, leaving to the Council a net income of £145,000 from the laud revenue for the year. Here is a County Council hard up for funds to maintain roads in passable condition for the next twelvemonth. The Council does not know how the deficit is to be made up. The Council will have £255 12s 7d available for road works which must cost £4,592 ; and by laying a sixpenny rate it will raise £1,300 more, leaving £3,292 still wanting. Where is the balance to come from ? Every Councillor is aware that the land revenue of this County lias been taken away ; he knows that other Counties have had large laud revenues during several years ; and he knows that most of them have funds in reserve which enable roads to be maintained without rates. Which of these Councillors has made any effort to secure equal treatment in this respect? Which Councillor raised his voice at Wednesday’s meeting on this q. estion of equal treatment? The Chairman, who had made the cheering announcement that 250,000 acres of laud were likely to be sold in the Comity this year, had not a word to say when he also ascertained that the Government had stepped in to seize £145,000 due to the Council from that same land. Is this the way to secure equal treatment? If the County Councillors all remain dumb, what have the ratepayers to say to a loss in one year ot £145,000, and a large loss in each succeeding year ? This West Coasthas been costly to the Government, and will continue costly until the political question is abolished by opening roads and rivers. Here was the means of opening roads, but the Government have slept in and snatched it away. What will they putin its place ? Which Councillor has asked them to put anything in its place ?