NATIVE RATING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 207, 10 December 1910, Page 3

NATIVE RATING.

DIFFICULTIES OF COLLECTION. This much-vexed problem was brought before Hon. A. T. Ngata, Minister of > Native Affairs, recently by Mr. Okey, M.P., to whom Mr. J. W. Foreman, , chairman of the Clifton County Council, ; had written in reference to the collection of rates on the West Coast Settlement Reserves. Thd Hon. Ngata placed the matter bofore Mr. T. W. . Fish'er, Under-Secretary of the Native Department (formerly Reserves Agent in Taranaki), and his reply was as- follows: j "I can only repeat, as in the past, that if the local body sees that its assessment roll is in order no difficulties to tny extent should arise. In' connection with this particular county, the local body should know the (rwner of every piece of native land in its district, and if it has not that information at . hand then it.can; object to the valuation rpll as supplied by the Valuer-General until that information is obtained from that Department. Having got the owners, even should they be unable to obtain the occupiers' names, it would be a small matter for arranging with the Reserves Agent, as far as the West Coast Settlement Reserves are concerned, to , go through the roll with the county Klerk .and so have all, in order prior to the roll passing the Assessment Court. By this procedure they would have; the occupier on the roll, and as far as the West Coast Settlement Reserves are concerned, the Public Trustee recorded fs owner, and would mean that the Pubtic Trustee- coußl take action J to deal with the land in the event of the 'occupier not paying the rate. This is in reference to reserves generally. But taking the broad case as stated in the Clifton County, Council's letter, there is certainly power in jthe present amendment to carry out their request. The quest ion asked is that the Kiblic Trustee, being the owner'of 150 acres, ana Tamu being the beneficiary entitled to the proceeds of the trust, and he occupying 50 acres for his own uses, the other 100 acres being leased to pake'has, it is very clear that if they (the Council) will see that Tamu is put down as occupier on the roll and also registered as a county elector, the position is then clear enough. Assuming that the occupier, Tamu, does not pay them, the owner (the Public Trustee) is clearly liable under section 65 of the Rating Act, 1908, and could pay, having funds accruing in the estate by way of rent from the 100 acres leased to pakehas,' so that the Public Trustee would pay the amount and debit to the trust acaccount, Tamu thereby receiving less rent than if he had paid the rate himself. The whole question, tb my mind, is that the local bodies must see that every piece of land in their district is down to the occupier, or failing the occupier, the owner." I