APPEALS AGAINST ASSESSMENT

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1814, 26 October 1874, Page 2

APPEALS AGAINST ASSESSMENT

AT PAEA.WAL i The sitting of the Parawai District Board on Saturday last to hear objections against asssessments for the current year was attended largely by the Native and European ratepayers, and the proceedings were of more than usual interest. Dfficulties which had lately arisen in reference tp the payment of native rates and a judgment given in the E.M. Court again»t^ Nikorima have drawn considerable attention to the subject, and it was feared that the cordiality which has prevailed for some years in this district between the Board and its Native ratepayers was likely to be disturbed. Mr. Mackay and Mr. Puckey were in attendance on behalf of the Natives and gave valuable assistance to the Board. Mr. Mackay and Mr. Allom both appeared against their own assessment, on the ground of their, respective properties being overvalued. No reduction was. allowed .in either case. Mr. Allom tbeii appealed on behalf of the - tilMßtefg gim and Nikorima, and as^ the .Board to reduce the amount fotr^which. they are assessed for tbe current year, viz. £13 7s Od. From Mr. Aliom's bW ment it appeared that although Nikorima is nominally assessed for the property, Biwi and To Moananui and others are interested therein. Mr. Ailom's arguments in favor of a reduction were based, not upon any grounds of excessive valuation, but simply that it would be good policy to reduce the rates, and that the Board would not ultimately be losers thereby. These views wero supported by Mr. Mackay, and eventually the Board agreed to reduce the rates upon Nikorima's property to £10 for this year only. The case 3of Parata Te Mapu, Pirika, Mango, and other native ratepayers were then considered, and generally speaking a reduction of about 25 per cent, was obtained in each case.