INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1920, Page 2

INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—My attent. n has uooii ffrawu to a letter by Mr. Capper in your paper of this morning, asking for information as to why my Council are rating on the capital value after a poll has been taken in the Moa Kiding, and carried, In favor of tho unimproved. May I first aay that I have already informed Mr. tapper personally the reasons, and as a former Councillor, representing the Moa Hiding on the Taranakl Council, he should have some knowledge of these imatters. He seems, however, intent on raiaiug difficulties for the new Council, and hiß attiude is unfair towarus them, especially when ho must be aware »f the conditions under which they are working I and of the difficulties they have to face. As an experienced Councillor he should do all he could to assist and not raise controversies. In case any ratepayers, however, are likely, to be misled by his questions, 1 point out that the poll taken by the Taranaki County Council, even though Moa lUding as part of that County favored the unimproved rating system, cannot be held to apply to Inglewood County as at present formed. Tho last rates collected were upon tho capital value, and it is only the current year that Taranakl County are rating on the unimproved values. Tho Rating Act provides that the local authority may by resolution decide whether it shall rate on ilio capita!' ; or annual value, but that it shall only rate on the unimproved value on the decision of the ratepayers by a poll on the question. The poll over the Moa Biding of the Taranaki County was not and cannot be regarded as a poll OPAP th« whnlf> nf tlm rnn-lpwnnri Prmnlv.

over tne wnole or tno ingietrooa county, which now includes portions of Stratford and Clifton Counties, the ratepayers of which portions have had no opportunity of expressing their views (Clifton Comity have been on the capital value and Stratford County on the unimproved value). Infewoou County starts do novo, and as I have already explained to Mr. Capper, all proceedings are likewise. Mr. Capper expressed the opinion to me that the Council's action in ratine on the capital value was going to increase his rates by a considefafcle amount As an ex-Councillor ho shoiftd of course know that what ever the system Is adopted, the rates will be the same, as the rates are struck to produce the s.\me revenue. I trust this explanation will satisfy Mr. Capper and any other ratepayer in whom his 1 Cer may have raised doubts, that the Council are acting legally and in justice to the ratepayers, and that Mr. Capper 'will in future trust the representatives the ratepayers have elected to do their lest for him and every other ratepayer.—l am, etc., PREB. I-LOYD, Inglewood, July 28, 1920. County Clerk.