The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1883. THE RATING ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1322, 8 March 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1883. THE RATING ACT.

The Rating Act of 1882 is now coming into operation, and it is worth while weighing its advantages and disadvantages, Hitherto local be dies have made their own valuations annually, but when the Government deemed it necessary to obtain a valuation of its own for the purposes of assessment under the Property Tax Act, the question of a dual valuation had to be faced. 'lt was obviously absurd for a local district to be valued twice over, once by the Government, and another time by its own board. The alternatives were tlmt either the local bodies should accept the Government valuation, or the Government should take the local valuation, Our opinion at the time was that the latter course, would have been more favorable, but Parliament in its wisdom chose the former. The Government have now completed their valuations throughout New Zealand, and in accordance with' the Eating Act, place their returns at the disposal of the local bodies, It is said that one advantage of this course is that local bodies get their valuations for nothing, but this is absurd, It is the people who pay for the valuations, whether they are made by local or general Government officials, and the people have a right to obtain the best results for their money, Is the Government system producing the best results 1 This is very doubtful. We learn that in Auckland the assessment, has been bungled, at Napier it is said to be absurdly inaccurate, and we are in a position to state that in Masterton it has been a farce. Can a centra! de-. partment at Wellington be trusted for correct valuations of the-various municipalities and road boards, of "the colony 1 The Hating Act is purely a centralistic measure, and in opposition to the spirit and letter of local self; government, but this wemight' put up with if we could obtain through it cheaper and more reliable valuations. If on the contrary we have to pay more money for a worse article, it can hardly bu pronounced a success. .Local bodies htiye been in a position to offer the Government reliable valuations,and unless the Government are prepared to return (lie compliment, we consider that thi' local bodies ought not on -this matter, to be wiped out, Tho Rating Act has some good points. It substitutes a capital for an annual value as a basis in rating. Unoccupied properties have frequently a fair capital value but no annual value, and they will yield more revenue under the new system. In practice we understand three farthing in the pound of capital value, is considered equivalent to the old rate of one Eluding in the pound on the annual value. The main objection to the Rating Act as a whole is its centralism, If we are to put up with this it is imperative that the department in Wellington must be prepared to give us more equitable valuations for the future than have apparently been obtained at the outset, A new department in connection with that unnecessary infliction the Property Tax has sprung into existence which employs hundreds of hands and has swelled largely our already overgrown army of civil servants, If the department and the tax disappeared simultaneously, we believo that the country would be materially benefited.

1 he novelty at this season, of an apple iree iu full bloom can be sean at Mr W. R,. Thompson's garden, at Greytown. The usual practice of the Greytown Vulunteer Fire Brigade will , be held this evening. The Committee appuinted by. the Greytown Fire Brigade to canvass for subscriptions for a new fire-bell have succeeded admirably so far, but a few more subscriptions will he required. Mr John Thmn|.6<iD, of Masterton, car'er, has filed a declaration of insnl, venoy. First meeting to be held at the Courthouse, Masterton, on the 13th inst, A meeting of those who have expressed their intention of joining the Masterton Volunteer band, and also those.who are willing to join, will be held at the Empire Hotel on Friday, evening next. The nsnal monthly meeting of the Waiohine Ejver Board was held on Tues day evening, Nothing of importance transpired.. \ The only case ( writes the Post) Bet down for hearing at the monthly-silting of the District Court on Friday is uno brought by Mr. Tlioina6 Hutchison i.iiecii urfrora Messrs. Siinnex and Hooker, of the Wairarapa, the sum of £l5O .damages alleged to have been sustained in consequence of a breach of contract. Mr. B. N,- Sandilands has beenretrainedforthedefendants, who deny the material allegations,

i ; . Messrs ■Hooper. & 00, have a new ad* veitißemeiit of a denting sale on our third pane. At tho.. meetingof'Volunteers held on Tuesday, evening m Qreytown Beveral more ffißUilers tyere sWorn in, and those present wore notified tlltit arms would bfl issued .to. thorn on Tuesday evening next when it is probable that the officers will be nominated. We learn from a correspondent at Gis« horn# lhat' notl)iii<! IviS been heard of Mr G,H, Liatev-Ka\«,-<inc > his disappearance, The searches m »l') liuvo given no duo to the mystery. His niale, a man named Eou, was the last to see him. He does' not believe. tlmt Mr Kayo contemplated' suicide He had been in. ill-hQaUh, but when Roe last saw him he was better.

UVo have received a letter signed "A Reader" but our correspondent dues not favor us with his name in accordance with the usual journalistic rule.' The letter, too, is ol a character which would serve no good purpose to publish without the writer's name being; attached to it. Tho late lains hno rendered the road between Mr Vallance'a and Masterton all but impassable. A number of excursionis'.B left Masterton at, 5 a.m. this morning hoping to be in lime lor the first race. We venture, however, to predict that they will not be on the ground before this afternoon.

The Rev, A. MoLßan conducted a special service in lhe Presbyterian Churoh at Maßterton last evening. The Rev, gentleman is a remarkably fluent and scholarly preacher, and his sermon displayed an intimate knowledge of scripture and very decided theological lenets.

, The election for three members of the Education Board resulted as follows— Blair 31, Beetham 30, Dr Newman 19, Archdeacon Stock 13, Cox 8. The first three aro therefore elected.

A meeting of the Carterton Licensing Committee, and of the Carterton Town Licensing Committee, wore to have been held at Carterton yesterday, but owing to a quorum not being in attendance in either case, the meeting lapsed.

A meeting of the Match Committee of the Masterton Rifle Volunteers was held last evening and the following team chosen to represent Masterton in the mitoh with Carterton on Saturday, the 10|h inat,Captain Donald, Sergeants Wilton and Wood, Corporals Matthews, Anketell, and MoLiclilan, Volunteers ICummer, C Bentley, G, Bentley. VV. Wilton, C. J. Freeih. Emergencies—P. Bright and 0, Hofliens; referees—Serjeant Dalrymple and Volunteer Peacock, The team will leave by tbe 10 a.m. train on the day of the match, The Board of Reviewers for the Wellington District under the Property Assessment Act, 1879, and the Ruin? Act, 1882, will meet at the : Courthouse, Masterton, at 10 a.m. on the 27th March, and at Greytown at the same hour on the 28ili, for the purpose of hearing and determining objections in respect of property in the highway districts of Cashpoint, Masterton, Featherstou, and Tara-tahi-Cartorton, town distriots of Featherston and Oarierton, and boroughs of Masterton and Greytown,

Mr Black, the postmaster at Greytown, hhs kindly placed at our disposal the following faots concerning the business done during the last six months at his office Money orders issued, £690 16s sd; Saving Bank deposits,, £1152 lis Id; Property Tax, £272 9a 3d; Telegraph receipt, £72 6a Id; Insurance receipts, 1334 6s; Money orders paid out out, £385 5s 9d ; Savings Bank withdrawals, £IBO7 4s 3d; Total amount passed office exclusive of ataniDß. £4007 12a Bd.

. The ever-pleasmg ceremony of a marriage attracted- a considerable number of people to the Wesleyan Church, Grevtown, on Wednesday morning, when Mr Thomas Saywell led to the altar Miss Jane Udy, daughter of Mr Hart tidy, junior. The ceremony was conducted by 'the Rev. Ml'' Isitt, assisted by the Rev. Mr.Young, The bride was dressed in slate-colored silk, trimmed with a lighter shade or satin, with the usual wreath of oranga blossoms, and long veil. The bridesmaids were five in number; Miss Valentine and Miss Ellen Saywell luvim' drosses of pink and blue sateen, and Miss Eity and Amy Hollard dressed in creaui and pink sateen, and a tiny bridesmaid -a sister'of the bride, Misi Eta Udy—dressed in j ink and croam sateen, who acted as train-bearer to the bride. The brother Of the bridegroom, Mr G. Saywell, acted as best man. The bride was given away by her father, After the ceremony and as the happy couple were leaving the church the choir Bang an appropriate hymn*, und before they took they seats in th, if conveyance they were assailed by a plentiful supply of sprinkled rice. Several Mips present also scattered flowers on their path from the ■ church,.

Mr E, o._ Evens, chemist, &0., has n removal notice in our advertising oolumns. The City of New York, with the San Fraucisco mail of London, February 14, arrived at Auckland at 10 o'clock last evening. The Hawea with the Southern portion of the mail leaves Manukau this morning, and may be expected in Weilin;ton on Friday.

Messrs Lowes & lorns held a very successful Stock sale at their yards yesterday. Notwithstanding the state of the weather the following prices were realised in sheep2-looth crossbred' ewes 8s Id to 8s fid; 4-tooth, 8s to 8s Id ; aged ewes; old Marino ewes, 2* 7d; store wethers, 7s 4d to 7s lOd; small mutton, 7s lOd to 9s. In cattle, store cows brought from L 3 to L 5 ss; small beef, LB IBs. Hack horses brought from Lssi m L6l7a 6d; draughts, L 5 10s to Ll4 10s; unbroken, LB to Lll. Pigs, small, 3s to 10s 6d; large pigs, 20s. Sacks and sundries concluded tlio sale.

Messrs Booth and Buchanan (West County) and 6. and W. H. Beetbam and D. McGregor (Esat County met at the Institute, Carterton, on Wednesday and prepared a sohedolo adjusting the accounts between the Counties consequent on the readjustment of boundaries, to be considered at the full meeting of the committees appointed by the two Counoils on Wednesday next.

A meeting of the Li.oensinp Committee of the Masterton Borough was hold to-day. Present—Messrs Bi'bli (chairman), Harvey, Chamberlain, and Price. Tho police report, which was of a satisfactory charac■er, was read, and a transfer of the license of the Royal Hotel to Sarah Worth was granted on the application of MrM. Caselberg. This completed the business of the meeting. The improvements effected ot late years in ladies' corsets have boen very great, and strikingly beneficial to health. Foremost among these for their peculiar excellencies are Rosenthal's samtairo and Dr Warner's coraline corsets. The former is constructed to obviate the; debilitating effects of the ordinary corsets by relieving the delicate and and vital organs from damaging mechanical pressure, while still affording a healthful and comfortable support to the wearer! The support to the figure i 3 properly distributed, and'the distressing effects of tight-lacing neutralised. I)r. Warner's coraline corset is boned with a new substance, which is vastly superior to horn or whalebone. It cannot break but will in every iustanco outlast the comet, being more pliable that.'whalebone it adapts itself mure readily lo the movements of the body. Both these admirably corsets oan be had in all sizes and colors at James Smith's Tu Abo Housk,-iAdvi.J

H.M.S Espiegle arrived in Wellington S harbor this morning,. Professor Allen; a.'magnetic healer, is About to visit Maaterton,