NATIVE RATES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 March 1932, Page 5

NATIVE RATES

("Post" Special Commissioner)

FAJLURE TO PAY WEALTHY EAST COAST MAORIS WHO BUY BLOOD STOCK AND MOTOR-CARS burden on europeans

WELLINGTON, Wednesday. , Native landowners on the East C°ast of the North Island, who can afford to pay 700 guineas for a blood gelding and ride in_ expensive motorcars are refusing to pay their rates according„to a statement made by Mr. H. M. Campbell (Reform, Hawkes Bay), in the House of Representatives this afternoon, with the result that Enropean ratepayers are being penalised to the extent of thousands of pounds annually. Referring generally to the problem of native rates, Mr. Campbell pointed out that many leases on the East Coast had expired and the Maoris had taken over the land. He had no objection whatsover to this, because he thought it a gopd thing j for the Maoris to farm their own j land, but his objection was to ihe practice of these Maoris making use of all the public facilities such as roads, and not paying anything in the way of rates. One county councii in an East Coast district had sent out demands for £43,000 in rates and of this amount only £13,000 had been eollect ed as a result of Maoris defaulting. This, he claimed, was placing an undue burden upon European ratepayers and he urged that some Government action should be taken to regulate the position. "My sympathies are with natives who are holding land and are unable to meet their rate demands," Mr. Campbell said, "but there is one partieular man who recently bought a gelding for 700 guineas and who vides about in a most expensive motor ear, from whom it is impossible to colleet rates. Those native landownei's who are able to pay should be compelled to and there are a great many np there who are quite able to l>ay up."