The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 890, 7 March 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1878.

Equal and exaefc justice to all men, Of whatever state ©r persuasion, religious or political. ***** Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbrib«d b)' gain. ,

The resolution passed at n l.i <■ meeting of the Pukekura Highwa Hoard, Hiid m o^her wo ds to tiu.sane i ffi;ct by H-ghway Board* no ih of Auckland, i.s omh which -lion (I nut b« nost v-i-ht oi by ihc ii'>lic, iiHinviy "That m lJih o.iiuio it" .hi.- Bo.ird the ]»i-k-o n. sy>teui ul r;i iij^, b so! on ih« aunua v«l i< ; , >.<» .'»>;, th. ivi.-y fixing tho expend-liiiv-j ot 'h" tuijus «-iuus cm tier. i« n>o ; unfuii-. and ihut the basis of r.it !iy s ovid be <)u the mi mproveu valtif oi :he land osry, thu m ki'i , at.-ae. tct-s and speculfttriji,; bojdt-r.-\my air c»n r..»ut.»)a txr fc" rji .- Mud other iinpiuveinnats by >v.,ich i heir Linds >i'n.- Ueiug iiicre=ißM(i ju valu- ." The one dr.wbick to lii*-. «v oothne.s.s of tije vri/i'khjg- nt loc s >v!veini»jfut u.ach.lioi-v 13 un-doubied-y to t»e /ound m h met hud of rating. The f.r««*nr «ysreut i.i a inoai, uuiuir tiuc, a.id more than all el c li>t* li-u » .lie •««■«■« for a peope •■• y ax «.s Le ie.»d;est vie n» of i^.'tti g a■• tne ab-.eut<'«.\ An al erat:oi), no*-' ever m the .^"stein of rating worWd d s«) qme as tff ic:uaJ.ly while v would, lighten, the bardetl of tuo

man irhoi'i rail ly impc..! .% y.. ni country but who, as Kites j»ro ho.v, assessed, is all i.he more heavily tnx-xl the more he improves his property. The absentee proprietor flourishes at tbo expense of the bona fide ! settler. What is needed fco effect j a reform m (be settlement of the countvj, and would burst up the large estates held for speculation quite as effectually and compel! men of lii-go. but more modevate holdings to utilise them, would be as the above resolution suggests, to eliminate m the fixing of the assessment the increased value to a property given by improvement, and fix the rate ace >rding to the natural value of the land and situ, ation. This would have the effect nofc of reducing the rateable value of improved land* to the present levol of that of unimproved lauds, but would bring down the one and raise the other to a mean between the two. The money thus raised is expended for the benefit alike of both, the resident! and the absentee, fay it improves the property of the j one as much as that of the other, aud what is more, the change would lead to a vast increase m the investment of money m the improvement of land.