BOARD ADMITS ERROR

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 744, 17 August 1929, Page 18

BOARD ADMITS ERROR

INTENTION TO STRIKE RATES INSUFFICIENT TIME GIVEN (From Our Own Correspondent) NGATEA, Friday. Allegations of illegal procedure m connection with the levying of rates rT/ e « made , by TT Mr * W - U- Willy to s?® Hauraki United Drainage Board ■ft %. s *f, OD ? ly vvorcie< i objection received «tt Friday s meeting. Mr. Willy was clerk to the Horahia Drainage Board prior to amalgamsfi° n ’a J n i ,“ s for mal protest he alleged that the board's intention as ?-? V< tT, Used was a surreptitious attempt to obtain over £2OO trom the ratepayers without any legal right. It was £ r tt , empt ' 116 claimed, to exceed the legal limit as provided by the Lands Diainage Amendment Act, 1922. further objection was made that the board was purporting to make a rate without giving ratepayers 28 days lof* 00 as required by section 4of the umendment to the Lands Drainage an( l a third point was that t±ie board had advertised that “all” the drainage district was liable for special rates, but that it would ?™ ly be i e X3?? on the thuds classed “A" cffissS “D" and Ulerefore not la uds The meaning of the numerous sections of the Lands Drainage Act and the Rating Act and their numerous Amedments was argued at length by members of the board, and it was bf r =fa d t i l ) a t a uiistake had been made atroet erti - Slns that the rates would be prior to the passing of 28 days the , date of the notice. The S bairrr i? n s notice of motion was thereallowed to lapse, and it wasTiecided to readvertise the notice. le^tio VleW ° f this error the other objections were not seriously considered u_ ut strong exception was taken to the f“® e^ tion that the board was exceeding its powers. There was certainly not ambl SUity in the Act which had ?esal b td n viot a s S< '. d ntil recently, when It?, .vice had been received to the three hJif 1 ' the legal llmit w as not baif Pence in the pound on the unimproved valuation, ' ut a sum not o” l?d e fn t°he t h at produced by a rate tiom d ln the £ on 1116 capital valua-