The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1884. SKILFUL WORKING OF THE RATING ACT!

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 65, 13 February 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1884. SKILFUL WORKING OF THE RATING ACT!

The more we see and hear of the public transactions of the Ministry the greater becomes our conviction that some at least of its members are not exactly “ to the manner born," — like a fish out of water, they struggle about and make a great show in doing nothing. Yet another instance of inertness, or incapacity, on the part of the Government is to be found in the skiljul working of the Rating Actin the wonderfully smart and clever manner in which the provisions of that precious compilation have been carried out. Of course, to carry on any work satisfactorily it is essential that an efficient staff should be engaged on it, and, to show how well prepared the Tax Commissioner has been to perform the duties of his Department in a commendable manner, we may point to the fact that no less than 120 clerks are engaged under that highly - remunerated official’s supervision. Is it any wonder, we ask, that the heavily-worked official has to tax his brain to find employment for all the members of his staff —when 120 clerk, are to be kept making a show of doing something? Is it any wonder that the mazy routine of red-tapism has the effect of sometimes “ shelving” an application or petition that “ humbly prayeth,” when the head of a Department has only to prevent 120 clerks falling into a stateof ennui? The work of supervision in such a case is no sinecure—especially when the trouble of lounging about and killing time during Government hours are taken into consideration, and some little excuse must be offered for the heavily-worked staff when the provisions of an Act are not put in force for a year or two. What does it matter about the inconvenience of the public, or the loss to a corporate body of a few hundreds of pounds a year —so long as the tempers of the great official and his staff of 150 clerks are not ruffled, or their evenly-balanced movements interfered with while they are in an afternoon state of semi-repose ? However, we may as well point out the vast amount of energy that has been displayed by the Tax Commissioner’s staff in carrying out the provisions of the Rating Act! So far back as September, 1882, an Act was passed, entitled “The Crown and Native Lands Rating Act, 1882,” which was intended to “provide for the payment of rates in respect of Crown lands and Native lands and all Native lands within five miles of a road or bridle-track were to be rateable property; while, to get over the difficulty of ownership, the Government, through the Property Tax Department, were to supply local bodies with schedules of these lands, the Government first paying the rates to the local bodies, then holding a lien upon the land to the amount of the said rates Further, before any one can lease a piece of land the rates on it have to be refunded to the Government — that supreme body first giving the Natives the option of paying their rates direct to the local body. All this is very good and commendable—or, at least, would have been had the provisions of the Act received due attention from the heavily-worked, officials of the Property Tax Department ; but, unfortunately, it was not until January, 1884, that the measure was given effect to—that is, so far as the Cook County Council is concerned! We do not say that the Cook County Council has been singled out for the bounteous official favors thus bestowed ; hut this much should be contended, thatred-tapeism, stupidity, or some sort of somnambulism must have been a marked feature in the mercurial proceedings in the Property Tax Department. The Cook County Council has lost about £3OO a year by the energy of that precious Department ; but, let us see how the Treasury — from which the great overpaid draw their “screws” — is affected hy the arrangement — or, rather, want of it. The Government — the Treasury — escapes the responsibility of disgorging £3OO, and, of course, that is a saving towards meeting the salaries of the energetic staff. What a clever exploit! We have stated that the Act was passed in September, 1882,

and the necessary proc la mat i 11 was not given publicity to until January, 1841, although repeated applications had been made by the Council in thia dis” trict in reference to the matter. We must not overlook the fact that one provision of the Act in question is that the Tax Commissioner should bo the sole judge what lands are rateable under the wonderful compilation, and an entry by him on the valuation roll of any lands was to be considered final. It is just possible, therefore, that his Excellency purposed giving the lands a personal inspection, and that may account for the trifling delay. Now comes the most singular feature of the affair: “ Owing,” it is said, “to local bodies doubting the good faith of the Government, they made repeated applications that their districts should be proclaimed,” the consequence being that the Govern, ment—probably suffering from too much trouble to permit it giving practical attention to the requests —got an Amended Act” passed in 1883, to remove “ those doubts.” What an act of generosity ! But we are rather digressing. The “ most singular feature of the affair ” is that clause 5 of the Rating Act sets forth that “ the Governor in Council may from time to time proclaim districts in the Colony not being Boroughs, and may from time to time alter or revoke such proalamations in which district the Act or Acts for the lime being in force regulating the making, levying, or recovery of rates in such districts in respect of lauds the property of or belonging to persons other than aboriginal Natives shall be in full force and effect as regards all Native lands, and to which the provisions of this Act relating to Native lauds shall not apply.” Now, we have got through this legal rigmarole, and what has been found ? That the Governor may proclaim districts wherein Native lands shall be rateable under the ordinary law ; so that the County Councils — to avoid trespassing on the valuable time of the lax Commissioner or his 150-strong brigade—could have ap plied to the Governor to have the requisite proclamations made ! This is only, however, another example of how easily “ a coach and-four could be driven through an Act of Parliament.” The Government got over its little trouble in the highly creditable affair by having an *• Amended Act” passed in September, 1883, setting forth how rates on Native land for the year ending 31st March, 1883, are to be “ recovered.” But how is the Cook County Council to obtain compensation for the pecuniary loss it has sustained through the inertness or stupidity of Government officials? That is the question. Its rate-book is made up every year, and the only way to recover the amount of back rates would be for that body to levy a special rate—if legal—on all owners of lands who have not contributed what is rightly due to them. Want of space precludes us from going further into the subject at present ; but we shall take the earliest opportunity of recurring to it—in the hope of being in a position to show how skilfully important things are not done in the official bee-hive euphoniously named the Property Tax Department!