COLLECTING NATIVE RATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 193, 4 January 1913, Page 6

COLLECTING NATIVE RATES.

LETTER TO THE NATIVE MINISTER. In connection with this vexed question, which lias exercised the minds of the Clifton County 'Council, as well as other councils, for some time past, and in connection with which the Paten Couut\' Council recently forwarded a circular letter asking other councils to support them in making strong representations to the Minister, which the Clifton County Council unanimously decided to do, the following letter h'is been forwarded by the Cliftoif County Council . to the Minister, placing their views before him, and suggesting .some alterations to the existing law: — "In regard to the rating of these lands that, if given effect to, would place local bodies in a much better position. if it did not altogether end the I unsatisfactory and inequitable position that at present exists. In the. northern portion erf the Clifton county there are blocks of native l«nd that are unimproved and that have, as far as can be ascertained, not yet been individualised, while in other blocks and sections each individual's share has been defined, but an actual partition has not been made. The Council has never received any rates from these lands. Under the Amendment Act, 1910, these la;::l* can be placed upon the roll, a rati levied, and judgment obtained, provided everything has been done in proper order. To ensure this entails an enormous amount of work in the investigation of titles and the expenditure of a lot of money in the employment of experts, Court fees, etc. When all this has tcun done, what prospect has the Council of their claim being paid? The only course open to them is to register a judgment against the land. It must be borne in mind that the judgments must be obtained annually, and as there is no guarantee when the land will be dealt with yon can easily understand the disfavor with which such a procedure is regarded. "The other class of land giving trouble

was that vested in the Public Trustee under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act. In the administration of this estate the Trustee lias reserved portions of the land for the natives to live on and use. Under the 1910 Act

[ the Trustee is prohibited from paying rates on any of these lands unless he is deriving sullicient revenue from the particular piece of land to which the claim attaches to enable him to pay. The result to the local body is that the Trustee cannot pay the rates, and the Maori occupier will not pay, nor is there any power to compel him to pay. The Council certainly has the option mentioned before, of registering their judgment against the land; but it would be folly to do so in a trust of this kind, as there may not 'be a transfer for the next 50 or perhaps lOO.yesvrs. I have gone somewhat fully into the matter in order to explain the unsatisfactory position in which local bodies are placed, and to show the futility of them endeavoring to collect rates from native lands under the present state of the law. Xow for the suggested alterations: "In respect to the class of lands first mentioned, failing the natives paying without trouble, the ra:tes should be paid by the Government, who should make provision for payment when the land is dealt with. This is regarded as the only solution of this difficult question, as it 1 is practically impossible for the local body, even if given power to enforce payment, to find who is responsible for 'the payment of rates in'the involved and chaotic conditions of ownership that exist at .present. "Regarding the West Coast Settlement Reserves, the'"Act'"Winch places them under control of the Public Trusete vests'them in him as statutory owner, lie lias absolute control of the estate lie is administering.for the native 'beneficiaries, and there is no valid reason why lie should not be made liable .for. rates in the ssune way as other owners! It is only right where a native is occupying a piece of land that his or her name should be placed on the rating roll as occupier, but if they fail to pay, then it should be obligatory for the Trustee to . do so. I

'ln concluding, there is the difficulty referred to in the Second paragraph of getting the correct names of the native owners. In the case of transfers by Europeans, information goes automati- 1 cally to the Valuer-General's oflice of the transaction. Could not the same system be applied to transfers or change of ownerships of native lands? If there is any sincerity on the part of those in power that these lands ought to pay rates, it should be easy to provide that the Land Courts, after making awards, partitions or succession orders, should forward the names of the new owners to the Valuation Office to be placed upon the roll.

■'ln extenuation of the length of this letter, I must plead the importance of tue subject not only to the Clifton County Council, but 'to nearly all the local authorities in this provincial district. 3ly Council hopes that in conjunction with the other interested members of Parliament, you will be able to do something to ameliorate the present anomalous position of local bodies in respect to the rating of native lands. Mr. C'. K. Wilosn, M.P., acknowledged with thanks the receipt of the letter, as he was out to do his best to get this native question oil a better footing.