Our Letter Box.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7762, 14 March 1905, Page 2

Our Letter Box.

(We arc not responsible for opinion* expressed by correspondents.) HATING' ON UNIMPROVED VALUE (To ■the Editor.) Sir,—The time driiweth nigh when our follow ratepayers will be railed upon to vote for tho rating upon the unimproved value—a method of rating which has boon accepted by twenty odd towns, road bonixis, an A county councils in Now Zealand, and luia never bwii reversed by a single one of theiu, so satisfied ure thej' re- : gurding ils usefulness and advantages. It is a just and equitable method. Why ? In every town and district there arc land possessors, some with houses and other improvements upon the land, and sonic with none. Now. by llie unimproved rating method the owner of the lond pays his portion of the rates, which he does not do by the present method—that 011 improvements alone. 'Hie plan which we are hoping will be upprovod by the ratepayers is one which oncotiragvs saving, thrift, und horn-sly, whilst it discourages inllnted values, booms, and bankruptcies. So unjust and irrational is the present method of rating that" only let a citizen of this town paint his dwelling house afresh, re-floor his water closet, or whitewash hit* henhouse to keejj down the fleas, when up go his- rates with a bound. Hut when the owne*. of houseless land has a now road constructed on one side of it, water and druinagc piping j laid down on the other sitltt of it b,v the borough council, iluix milk- ■ ing it more valuable, tuoie arc ssible, and healthier, does he pay any | rules for all these ? No ; he does not. It is nol n Question of taxing thu poor and letting the wealthy gx» ' free—rating on The unimproved valuu 1 (xpialises the tuxes on both poor und rich. I'Yllow ratepayers, now is | your opportunity—it may not occur | again—but what will occur most u»su|'t*lly, is nn immense iincrease in the rates within the next four years. Till! present loan is almost exhausted, and on no account should we' give any borough council authority to contract a fresh one for muny years. The interest of the present loun must be paid ; the advantages arising from its expenditure are many, but dourly hiougbl. .lust count them up, please. 1. Improved, graded, gravelled, und moliiM-d rouds and footpaths; with another one half to finish. I'onoivle kerIjing und water channels good ami i siibstuniuial, but not continuous. il. 1 Water abundant, excellent pressure, 1 but a large revenue lost for want of I meters. 4, Uruinuge, |tulohy like i tho footpaths, urid will be effectual I w hen all connect ions ure llnished, to

lallow sewage, I'll 1 ., to flow into septic lank, 5. Abattoir \ery usvl'u 1, unoalablo 11Kiit condi-inned, lint the prlcu of mca't will become dearer. IS. Municipal hath woll conducted, conducive to lioalth, lint it will never bo self-supporting. 7, Kleclric lighting well under way, will lie very cxpeiisive, anil may never su|H'l'Ccde gas, wliirli a'l pri-sent is far too big all undertaking to municipalise. These are all very needful and \useful tilings to possess, but, citizens, you will inquire to dip your hands deep down inlo your pockets to pay for all these. To sv« that every citizen pays his fair and just proportion Votv for t'»o lilting mi (he unimproved vulue. Ono word in conclusion. Al| female voters must ivcord their votes, iki holding back, coiik' forward anil assert your rights fearlessly and thus he|p jour huslmnds anil fullers (o put inlo force a just and oipiitaljlu method of taxation.— Vopfs, etc..

fl. UAH|t}MJT<>N. PUS EXJiUIWION. ITi) Hie Editor.) Sjr,—Vhjle falkipg to a friend of piine frqin Wellington 1 loariit to |my disgust tha (. t|io prj/es won liy tie Wellington competitors at the j swimming earflival have not a 8 .V et ' been received by them. Suroly it Is high time that thew matters were ' uttended to. Only another "tenner" to help to swell the deficiency. Who are the so-cal|«l business men who tried to ruu Iho show ? I for ono | itrougly disapprove ol Kew Ply. mouth living Known us the filum ' whero competitors win money audi- !