1.—15

The following table shows the amount of the above loans raised through the State Advances Corporation over the period under review : — Table showing Loans to Land Drainage Boards from State Advances Corporation front 1924-25 to 1943-44 £ ' £ 1924-25 .. .. 11,520 1934-35 1925-26 .. .. 4,347 1935-36 1926-27 .. .. 1,320 1936-37 1927-28 .. .. 6,945 1937-38 1928-29 .. .. 3,000 1938-39 .. .. 9,205 1929-30 .. .. .. 1939-40 .. .. 2,500 1930-31 .. .. .. 1940-41 . 1931-32 .. .. .. 1941-42 1932 33 .. .. .. 1942-43 1933-34 .. .... 1943-44 The following table showing the annual loan charges of Land Drainage Boards indicates a similar trend to that of their loans : : —

Table showing Total Annual Loan Charge of Land Drainage Boards from 1924-25 to 1943-44

(5) River Boabds (a) Revenue River Boards derive the bulk of their revenue from rates. By the River Boards Act, 1908 (which includes by reference certain sections of the Rating Act, 1925), rates for river-protection purposes are collected either on a capital value or unimproved value basis. Eleven River Boards collected their rates on unimproved basis, and seventeen on capital value basis. In the case of six other Boards, however, provision has been made for rating on an acreage basis by special local legislation Rating on an acreage basis has been advocated for some considerable time, and in the early " thirties " there was considerable agitation to enable all Boards to rate on an acreage basis. No such general provision was made, however, but, in the casg of the Taieri River Trust, the Manawatu-Oroua River Board, the Kaituna River Board, the Waikiri River Board, and the Taupiri Drainage and River Board, and the Southland County Council in relation to the Titiroa Drainage District, power has been given and is exercised to rate on an acreage bssis. No details are available to show the amounts collected on a valuation or an acreage basis. For rating purposes land within a river district is classified as follows :— (a) Land receiving or likely to receive an immediate or direct benefit from river works : (£>) Land receiving or likely to receive less direct benefit therefrom : (c) Land receiving or likely to receive only indirect benefit therefrom : (dj All other lands. The actual classification of the land is the responsibility of the Board and rates are assessed over each category in terms of the benefit which it is likely to receive.* The maximum rate that can be levied is six farthings in the pound on capital value, or an equivalent amount on the unimproved value. Obviously, in the categories receiving only indirect benefit the amount of rates will be less than in the area receiving direct benefit.

* Biver Boards Amendment Act, 1913, section 9.

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I Year. Interest. »£? Total. Year. Interest. Total. £ * £ £ £ £ 1924-25 .. 20,943 1934-35 .. 16,851 10,854 27,705 1925-26 .. 23,363 1935-36 .. 15,897 10,742 26,639 ] 926-27 .. 28,024 1936-37 .. 15,520 10,800 26,320 1927-28 ..3 3 29,133 1937-38 .. 14,993 10,843 25,836 1928-29 | £ 31,433 1938-39 .. 14,919 11,207 26,126 1929-30 .. > | 32,731 1939-40 .. 14,449 11,405 25,854 1930-31 .. 33,154 1940-41 .. 14,023 11,864 25,887 1931-32 ° £ 33,458 1941-42 .. 13,839 12,500 26,339 1932-33 .. 32,965 1942-43 .. 14,560 11,555 26,115 1933-34 .. 29,663 1943-44 .. 14,040 12,082 26 122