THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1901.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 98, 19 January 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1901.

In this issue we publish the Mayor’s declaration of the carrying of the proposal to adopt the system of rating on unimproved value in the Borough of Waimato. As we have been so intimately connected -with the reform, and indeed may claim to be the pioneers of the successful attempt to carry it, we may well be pardoned for “ tooting" a little. On July 30th, 1898, the Advertiser, then publishing a sheet eleven inches by nine inches, but with a reputation in town for go-ahead-ness which many older papers g ight envy, mad« its first reference to the matter when advocating the formation of a Parliamentary Union to discuss this and other subjects of reform. Again, on August 20th, when the question of a water supply was being discussed, in advising ratepayers to “ hasten slowly," we said : —“ The opposition shown at the meeting was a perfectly reasonable one and could be overcome by proving that the cost would not be in excess of the ■•advantage. Our present basis of Borough taxation is a hindrance to progress. The first thing to help along the water supply question or any other for the public good, and involving the question of rates, would bo to

•adopt rating on unimproved values instead of the present oldfashioned and unfair method of taxing improvements. This subject is one which requires separate consideration, but there need be no hope of carrying a proposal till it is shown clearly that the burden of taxation will not fall on the poor residents to the advantage of more property-owners. Desultory discussions in the Council and more or less heated ones at public meetings is not enough. People should have the pros and cons before them in black and white. We shall from time to time contribute to the clearing up of the subject, and hope others will take advantage of our correspondence columns to ventilate and agitate it. Only harm can be done by unwisely forcing the matter, therefore we say again, ‘ Hasten slowly.” Since that time we continued our efforts 'towards the public good> although there were times when we lost business, but this is incidental to the career of a newspaper which strives to attain a higher plane than a mere earner of money. Money is indispensable, but when newspaper proprietors realise the power that lies in their hands, to be used for good or ill, we shall see less writing dictated by policy and more by altruism of a better type. Bt we digress. Eighteen months ago, sufficient interest wisaroused in the rating reform to lead to a petition |for a poll being taken round for signature. The result of the poll was, curiously enough, that exactly the m inimum number of ratepayers who must vote (one third of those on the roll) went to, the poll. A large majority voted for the proposal, but a few informal votes were cast, and as dual voting was in force, it was indefinite whether the poll was carried, and it was declared lost. Another poll could not then be held for three years, but last session the Act was altered to permit a poll being taken at any time in places where a poll had been lost, and also to abolish - plural voting and establish a bare maj tiity ruling. Another petition was tin-a drawn up and largely signed, with the result already known. This town is each and every day flooded with daily papers from far and near, several of which have their local correspondents. But these papers cannot agitate reforms in distant places, an I. here it is that the need of the local papers is shown. Had the Advertiser not been founded, ratepayers would to-day have been lamenting the unjustness of a tax upon their improvements. There are many other cases, too, in which the presence of a fearless, outspoken paper has been the means of preventing grave injustices. But enough has been said on this occasion. In the future we will endeavour to

maintain our past standard o£ usefulness, and, with a large and growing circle of readers, make for improvement throughout the district. To enable us to do this it is simply necessary that we receive the public support we have hitherto received. With that secured, much is possible.