COLLECTION OF RATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 212, 15 February 1915, Page 3

COLLECTION OF RATES.

A PROPOSED REBATE. The collection of rates has long been »i vexed question with local bodies, as nany ratepayers have a tendency to deay their payments until the last posihle moment, and generally pay just in me to avoid the 10 per cent, penalty. ,i soine cases they miss the date, consequently have to pay the penalty, and grow very wrath thereat. There are, of course, some ratepayers who arc always in arrears with their rates, and to v horn tile enforcement of the 10 per cent, penalty is no bugbear. At the meeting of the Egmont County "Council on Friday, when a letter was 1 received from the Whakatanc County Council, asking the Council to support a proposal to ask the Prime -Minister to Viu'e the law amended so as to enable local b.odies to allow a rebate for payment of rates within a certain time, just as Crown Land Boards do in connection with the payment of rents.

. The chairman, in expressing sympathy with the proposal, said it was unfair to those who paid early that others should leave their rates outstanding. . Cr. W. C. Wright said he had always favored sometTiing of the kind, but on thinking the matter over he thought that the Minister would reply to the •effect that the Council had the matter in its own hands, as it could sue for the rates at any time after the expiration of fourteen days from date of the levy, while, the 10 per cent, penalty could, be added in six months and fourteen days. It might be an improvement, now the .rates were getting so high, to adopt the

' .-I.S Shrtmr Heard system of paying rates half-yearly. Cr. Dudley could not see how they | would strike the rate so as to allow for a rebate, and still have assured finance. Cr. Harvey said that as the Council had to pay the bank 0 per cent, on over- | draft it would pay to give ratepayers 3 per cent, rebate. The chairman, however, considered that tli o fault lay with the system they llad got into. If ratepayers were given to understand that they must pay | promptly, or be sued, then' would be no ' further ' bother. The Council would then have funds to lio work on the roads at the right time, and the rate- ' payers would get better value for their ; monoV.

Cr. W. C. Dudley moved, and Cr. McNeill seconded, that the proposal he supported. "* Cr. McUeynolds said that there was no inducement for ratepayers to pay their rates promptly when they saw the war some of the Council's employees worked. There were some first-class workers, but others were useless. He had disappointed his ratepayers, as there was an idea that things would "hum" when the new Council was elected, and that there would be an extraordinary change Cr. W. C. Dudley: "'Give yourself time. You've had no time to buzz yet!" (Later in the day Cr. Meßeynolds said that the men lie referred to were casual hands. Tn fairness to the overseer, he must say that the permanent hands were good men.)

Cr. Wright moved, as an amendment, "That, as the Council ha:-, tlie remedy in its own hands by having power to sue for rates after fourteen days, this Council considers it useless to support the proposal." The amendment was not seconds!, and the motion was carried.