inson. UNIMPROVED RATING

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1928, Page 2

inson. UNIMPROVED RATING

FARMING LANDS IN INGLEWOOD. BOROUGH OWNERS PREFER COUNTY Rural lands in the borough of Inglewood are heavily burdened with rates on the unimproved value, according to a deputation to the council last night. It was asked that certain lands on the Windsor Road, on the borough boundary, should be transferred to the county. The application was referred to the finance committee for Ihvestigation. Messrs. W. Yeates and T. Bowler waited on the council, saying they represented Mrs. Curd as well, The rates were becoming oppressive on the farming lands within the borough, said Mr. Yeates. His rates amounted to £1 an acre and at 5 per cent, interest, that meant the borough had a mortgage on his property of £2O an acre. He pointed out that the land was not needed for building purposes. There was plenty of room for residential building even if their lands were taken out. Ths Mayor (Mr. J. W. Winfield) said the question had been discussed with the Minister of Lands when he was there, but no way could be seen out of the difficulty. If everyone who objected to the rating went into the county there would be nothing but the residential section left. He remarked that he himself was paying nearly £1 an acre on a dairy farm in the county. Mr. Yeates urged the connci) to take up the question of a return rating bn the capital value. Mr. Wal.< , M.P., had promised to look into the matter; but nothing had been done by the Government yet. The people were being driven from the country to the towns, where life was being made easier. He noticed from recent returns that there were 13,909 less on the land than a few years ago. The Mayor: That does not apply to Inglewood, for the population here has not increased. Cr. W. H. Armstrong: To be fair to the others, it would mean cutting out of the borough from your place to the bacon factory—about 150 acres. Mr. Yeates agreed. Cr. Armstrong said they would have to treat in the same way other propertyowners in similar circumstances. Mr. Yeates said that if he could get his property out of the borough he could sell part of it. The rates at present kept buyers away. When he bought the land it was rated on the capital value, but under the new order his rates had doubled, thus absorbing all hie improvements. The area in question was about 29 acres. After the deputation had withdrawn, Cr. R. B. Sutton said they could hardly refuse the application if the county agreed to take the responsibility for special rates and came to an arrangement regarding the maintenance of the road on the boundary. He noticed that an. arrangement, had been come to in Waitara. Cr. J. Sutherland said if all ' other

properties similarly situated went out it would place the borough in a difficult position. The properties were all pledged to special rates, and if they ceased to pay it would mean an enormous increase in rates over the whole borough. He agreed the rates on the properties in question were too high. “Probably the best solution would be for the whole borough to go into the county,” suggested the Mayor >yCr. Armstrong said Mr. Yeates had raised a question that had to be faced sooner or later. The unimproved rating had been brought in as a result of agitation by one or two people who had built expensive houses and had found their rates were too high on a capital value basis. They had bluffed the rest of the ratepayers into the idea and now the others were finding themselves adversely affected. At present they had the absurd position of a small house paying £3 or £4 in rates and a mansion a similar amount. A bank in *he town was paying a very small sum. Cr. B. Larson considered a ward system of rating would get over the difficulty. Cr. Sutherland said that when the Minister was in Inglewood he had told them complaints were coming from all over the country. It had been suggested that a way out of the trouble would be to divide the borough for rating purposes into business, residential and rnral areas. He considered it was a question for the municipal conference.