BOROUGH LEASES.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 192, 22 August 1901, Page 3

BOROUGH LEASES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l v ould esteem it a f vvour if ydu would ventila; e a grievance that land several other ratepayers a<e in a fog about. I have leased some sec ions fom the Wahnite Borough Conned for a number of years. The le*se is not near y up, and the rents have been r-.gularly paid. Now, since the introduction of ra'ingon unimproved values the Borough Council have increase! the to nearly double on Ske leased land. When a lease is legally made out and t h»- partie's. concerned »grte, one to let and the other to accept for a specified ime, then I think that neither of the parties concerned has any legal right to klter or amend what is in tb-j body of the la ise. If unforeseen circumstances arise ami it is nece-sary for the conditions of the lose to be altered, I contend that ihe consent of b-x.i par: its concerned would he necessa-y. If the Borough Council h desirous to repossess thtfir dbctiens and the leaseholder agrees, the iMnsatiin for improvements. If the B-rough Council will give any explanation or quote sufficient authority for heir hction I will humUy submit to the inevitable. If th-y cannot, then I prutest against them usurping the fun:!tio",3 of tho legislative Council, who are paid for exercising their brain power in making and altering our laws. There have been sufficient acts of omission and commission lately which the ratepayers hive had to pay for, without getting to loggerheads witn them by trying to ext act a supposed illegal ra e. I do uot for a momeut, bslidve our Waimate Councilors are any faster than thfl average borough councillors in trying to get money to ke>p the bi-rough in a sauitary condition and in ord'.r, but some councillors have got rates on the brain, especially if it does not affect themselves, and would rate a p-ior man a penny for every day the sun shone on him.—l am, etc ,

BOHOHfiB. If our correspondent, at the time of leasing tha sections, agreed to pay the rates, the alteration of the system of rating does not affect the le*se. His insinuation thit the Boioujh Councillor use thfir powers to exempt thenwlves from rates is unfounded.—