PATEA HARBOR RATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1916, Page 6

PATEA HARBOR RATE.

. o m OLD HISTORY KECALLEIX The reminder, from the Patea Harbor Board is not at all wglpome (writes the Tnkaora correspondent of the Hawera Star). When the vote was taken to permit that Board to raise an £SG,OOO loan, many settlers never bothered their heads to vote, but simply said, "Oh, let them have it," forgetting that by their action, or want of action, they were giving authority to that body to" rate their properties up to, nt present high values, about 12s 6d per acre. The present demand runs into about one shilling per acre; but after the £BO,OOO is spent twice that amount nvili be needed to save from sea ravages the amount already expended. Such,has been the case in other parts, of New Zealand in eonnetion with sea frontages. In the good or bad old provincial days, when New Plymouth was the Parlainentary seat, and with • laudable ambition wanted a harbor of their own to berth the ships coming from Home, they struck a harbor rate, the Manawapou being the southern boundary, then Hawera and district were considered in the backblocks. The then 'Parliamentary representatives (the late Messrs H. S. 'Peacock, Manutahi, and Felix McGuire, Hawera) had the rating boundary shifted to the Waingongoro river.

I heard the late Sir Harry Atkinson tell the ratepayers that no harbor rates would be levied for 2b' years, but through failure of land revenue and other causes rates a'ore levied in onetenth of that time, and were considered such a burden on the land that when Tokaora was out up and valued by the Government, that portion of Tokaora lying west of the Waingongoro river was valued at 5 per cent, rental less than the east, 01 Hawera, side. This was to equalise matters and meet the harbor rate, yet the land was for farming purposes of equal value. Settlers lueky enough at that time to reside outside the rating area had no sympathy for theii less fortunate brothers, but unmercifully poked fun at them. Now the tables are turin.il; the west side have no harbor rates to pay, and have a 5 pei cent, less rent to meet, and can do their barracking over the telephone.