The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning. Tuesday, May 13, 1890. A CURIOUS FEATURE OF CIVILISATION.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 453, 13 May 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, May 13, 1890. A CURIOUS FEATURE OF CIVILISATION.

Be just and fear not; Let rll the ends thou aim’gfc at be thy oountry’g. Thy God’s, and truth’s.

If there were any further example required to illustrate the impotency of the Atkinson Government, that proof is supplied by the attitude which lias now been assumed of allowing native lands to be freed of rates. European holders have to pinch and scrape to provide funds for the construction and maintenance of roads, and, as a sample of our boasted civilisation, the native land owner-is to be allowed to avail himself of the increased value given to his holding, without being called upon to pay a share in the cost. This burlesque of civilisation would be intensely amusing if it were not so serious. In this district there are vast areas of native-owned land lying useless because the owners will not themselves make it productive, and the laws are so absurd that Europeans are almost completely barred from stepping in and converting the wilderness into a state more in keeping with the times. Rating this land is one of the fairest methods of getting it made productive, but now there is to be a reversion to the former state of savagery. While New Zealand is gradually being drained of its population, and taxes have been heaped on till they have become a most oppressive burden, a large proportion of land, which in all fairness ought to bear its share, is no longer to contribute. If there were any prospect of these lands becoming ratable by passing into the bands of Europeans, the grievance would not be nearly so serious, but with the outrageous bungling that we now see, I

there is but a remote chance of anything of the kind being accomplished during the lifetime of those who have already arrived at manhood. Why, it was only last session that an Act was passed providing for a Commission to clear up titles, and after a long delay the first thing we hear of being done is the making of the thing so expensive as to render it, in the majority of cases, worth more than the interest to the land to submit the titles to such a tribunal.

Reverting to the question which now more directly concerns us, that of rating native lands the value of which has been increased by roads, it is pleasing to see that the County Council is fully alive to the necessity of action in the matter. A circular has been drawn by the Clerk, Mr Warren, and he makes suggestions which in the absence of the hope of anything more complete, are certainly better than to allow the land to be freed of its fair share of taxation. It wouid be ridiculous to offer argument in support of something of the kind proposed being done, because the anomaly of the present state of things is too glaring to be overlooked. The following is a copy of the circular, copies of which are to be forwarded to the local bodies interested, and also to each member of Parliament :—

Sib,—As this is the first year that local bodies will not receive rates from the Crown and Native Land?, this Council considers it prudent to make some movement towards having the Native lands brought under the operation o£ the ordinary Rating Acts. To do this the Crown should define the block or subdivision, and name one or more owners as the persons liable for rates upon the whole, or the Crown should pay the rate, giving the notice as at present.; and if the owners do not pay up at least cni-e in two yea’s, ihe land should be let for a term cf years so that the local bodies should not loss the revenue. It must be clear that the value of Nativeowned lands has been increased by the expenditure of the European rates and revenues, and it must be remembered that the expansive works constructed out of thi “ Government Loans to Local Bodies ” are not a charge in any way upon the Native or Crown lands. I trust therefore that your Council will endeavor to impress the member for your district with the necessity that exists for ths cartful consideration of a new measure whereby the Native lauds may be retained as contribution to the local revenue.—Jobs Clabk, Chairman.

Of course it matters little as to whether the method suggested meets with universal approval so long as the desired end is attained, that of making native-owned land bear a fair proportion of taxation. No one wishes to inflict any injustice on the natives : all that is asked for is that the native landlords.be fairly treated, and not be pampered up at the expense of hard-working European settlers.