A WAIKOHU MATTER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3571, 10 July 1912, Page 2

A WAIKOHU MATTER.

Sir, —0:i perusing your report of tho last meeting of this Council one finds that a rate of Ifd is to be struck over the whole county for the ensuing year, and 1 take it that no riding is to bo exempted. This, needless to say, comes as a surprise to many of the ratepayers in the Kanalcanaia riding who in December last formed part of a special rating area for the purpose of constructing a new road to the ertlemcnt and pledged themselves to borrow up to £9OOO. Before going further I would point out that at the last meeting held at Kanakainia prior to this scheme being submitted to the poll, and at which four council On v.ere present, including the for the district and then chairman of the Council, the chairman assured the meeting that once the scheme was carried expenditure would cease on the old road (which it has done), that we would be given special consideration on the striking of any future rate, and would bo called upon only to contribute our quota to administrative expenses. Surely this is a promise not to be ignored, and one that I feel was overlooked when the rate was struck ? It is yet not too late to have it remedied, as I believe it has to come up for confirmation at the next meeting of the Council. Another matter that must have came as a shock to many ratepayers is the increase in the general rate, notwithstanding the largo increase that has just been effected through the revaluation of the county, and likewise the doping of the community with tiro system of rating cm unimproved values, here again w© were ied to believe the pres and eons of the scheme as from the small farmer stand-point of view; but result. We have simply put a lever into the hands of the Council to extract rates and so- fill its coffers, for we will find, much to our surprise, a larger rate bill than heretofore. On viewing your report closer one finds that the estimated revenue for the ensuing year at 1-J-d totals £11,417, or practically double what the Council collected three years ego—its first year of existence. If it goes cm at this rate surely the Minister for Internal Affairs has a good case for the reduction of small bodies and the centralisation of counties- Apologising for taking up your valuable space.— I am, etc., E- O’SULLIVAX. Kanakanaia, July S, 1912.