PAPAKURA TOWN BOARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 645, 23 April 1929, Page 11

PAPAKURA TOWN BOARD

RATING OF FARM LANDS I The Papakura Town Board met last evening, Mr. James McCall, chairman, presiding. Seven farmers, occupiers of 335 acres of land used fo.r farming purposes within the Papakura Town District, petitioned the board to declare the land to be farm land in accordance with amending legislation, Municipal Corporations Act, 1928, and valued accordingly. “It opens up a big question,” said the chairman, “and it will require a lot of consideration as to what is farm land. It was really getting back to unimproved value. However, they should get some consideration.” M.r. D. Weir said it was simply absurd to value some of the properties at £4O to £7O an acre. The board would have to come down to tin-tacks and make up its mind whether it was going to act. The board appointed a special committee, consisting of the chairman, Messrs. G. Leitch and W. Rhind, to go thoroughly into the matter and report to the board. The Auckland Electric-Power Board expressed its regret to the consumers in the Papakura area for the failure of electric power, which, it stated, had been brought about by the installation of earth leakage protection switches demanded by the 1927 Public Works Department regulations. The board anticipated that a repetition of the trouble was hardly likely. Mr. Alfred Willis, president of the Papakura Beautifying Society. Mr. Butter-worth and Mr. S. D. Rice, secretary, constituting a deputation, appealed to the board for financial help on the grounds that all work carried out by tlie society beautified the town as a whole'. The society had £4l in hand, and asked the board to make up the amount to £IOO from the public funds. The deputation pointed out that the Morrinsville Society was entirely dependent on the council for funds. The chairman and members praised the splendid work accomplished by the society and promised to support it as far as funds would allow.