RATING ON NATIVE LANDS.
IMI'JIOYKD SYSTEM XEIiDEi).
MI!. KOIIEMA.VS HOPEI-TLXKSS.
Mr. ,1. W. Foreman, Chairman of the C'littoii County Council, made reference at Friday's meeting to the deputation which h:ul waited on (lie Acting i'ie-ini-r in Wellington a few days >to discuss native rating and other milters affecting public bodies in this di-tricl. I lie attitude ol the Acting-Premier, Jie said, was very sympathetic, ami hi i reply had been correctly reported ill the local Press. The deputation h.J also placed the matter of the native lnuls before Hon. (I. t'owlds, .Minister for Education, and lie (the speaker) was hopeful that there would soon be a remedy for the unsatisfactory state of affairs now existing, lie moved a hearty vote of thanks to Messrs. .leanings and Symes. Jl.'slUl., for their ready assi-t----anee to tile deputation.
Seconded l»v (Jr. Caustad, and carried. (V. .101 l moved a vote of thanks to tlu* chairman for the great interest In- 11. mI always taken in this question of Mich importance to tlif cnumy, and to the North Hand generally.
C'r. Wright seconded. Cr. .Mackenx-ic said the deputation u.is the outcome ol' the coulerence «»i* oritnly rep;v.->entaliv<»;s \vliich lnid bet'ii initialed and arranged by Mr. Foreman. Mr. Foreman said that lie would prefer to accept the {.'oiim-i!'?; thanks without a recorded resolution, but members thought the vote should appear in ilu* minute*: and the motion was put and carried.
The chairman, ill returning thanks, said he had lieen interested in the matter for some years. When he first thought of it the natives were ill a Mate approaching barbarism, aud they would then have resisted any claim for rates such as were paid by Europeans. Uut now they were occupying their lands in fanning puruits and they were using the roads a great deal, lie, thought that when the natives found they must, pay towards the upkeep of the road they would pay up. And the Acting-l'reniior was of opinion that they should pay, aud he was hopeful that a beneficial change would he made very soon.
(Jr. .foil said it was a matter for congratulation that the chairman should speak in so hopeful a tone, lie was not ill the habit of speaking so hopefully on matters brought before the Council unless there was good cause, and lie took it that there really seemed to be hope now that a burning question would be settled.
The chairman said the Acting-Pre-mier's attitude was, briefly, that there was a wrong that would have to be righted.
THE DEPARTMENTAL REPLY
The Acting-Premier referred the matter to the Minister for Lands, who cominunicated with the Valuation Department. A copy of the Department's reply lias been forwarded to Mr. W. T. .leiinings M.H.R. The Yauler-Cleneral states that the difficulties in the way of obtaining accurate information respecting the ownership of native lands had already been brought before the notice of the l!overnment by him. The members of the deputation, however, misrepresented the facts when they stated that the local bodies could not touch their rolls. The opposite was the case, for there was a special provision in the Act enabling them to do this. There was a reluctance on the part of some local bodies in the colony to make alterations in their rolls, even "w hen their powers in the Act had were lii'J.v rjsliietcd by law in the mailer of altering values, as the Department must control these, and the deputation did not seem to have complained of the values. The real trouble was that neither the local bodies nor the Department could obtain the information respecting the ownership of native lands in many cases owing to the constant granting of succession orders and the difficulty of obtaining correct information regarding the names of the owners; it was useless for the valuer to try and ascertain particulars from the Maoris themselves "1 may say," he continued, "that the clerk of the l'arihaka lload Board (one of Ihe deputation) called on me, and 1 had no difficulty ill making a satisfactory arrangement with liiin as to future procedure.'' He could do the same for others if required, and added that he had no difficulty with those local bodies whose clerks cnininimicati'd freely with the Department, lie quoted au instance showing the value of the assistance given, and mentioned thai many clerks took little trouble with regard to native land entries on their roll, on account of the almost iniinitestimal individual interest owing to frequent subdivision. Consequently the expense, oi collecting by process of law did not pay. Under the existing law, also, a restriction was placed on the execution of a judgment summons, if issued. Consequently the local body clerk hesitated to summons the natives, and flit; native knew it. The Taranaki City Council had not issued summonses against any of the Maori ratepayers who were correctly entered oil the roll, and it would seem' singular that, if the Council had no - intention oT enforcing the law, it should require further details, the obtaining of which was very costly and troublesome. "If it is desired that the natives should pay rates in the same way as the Europeans, a simplification of the present procedure would seem to be necessary." He denied that the Taranaki County Council's letters to the Department had not been acted upon.
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 6 May 1907, Page 4
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888RATING ON NATIVE LANDS. Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 6 May 1907, Page 4
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