THE Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1881, THE RATING ACT.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 149, 11 June 1881, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1881, THE RATING ACT.

uWerdnwa things, and a irop mt tok tailing Ufct . dtvr.vpon a thought, proddMt - ttwt wkisk makes ■ " ' ■ t*omsands, : portaps Millioiu tbiak/'

Now that our law makers are about to commence their Sessional labors, it were as well that attention should be drawn to the monstrous injustice •which is /being daily done under cover of the law byjhe eccentricities —to useith^ mildest term— of the Eating Act; and the \?orst of it is, 'that while the iSlagistrates who administer the law denounce it* provisions, and "" sympathise . with its victims, they are powerless to alter ? the one or, he^ the. Qth.Br, As the Act at present stands, it is quite within the bounds of possibility,— najy it ; is-a daily occurrence — 'that John Smith who may live m Auckland should be sued for rates on land ( | isaid to be owned, vbj hjtm ,, icfuroh or Dunedro ; although, as a [matter' of fact, he "may never have ' held a foot -of 'ground m either pla.ee. [To provide against an injury-being I i.nH}6te4tßowever,!a/iwise Legislature has enacted thgit the rate-book o.f the locality \x\ which such land shall lie, | snail : be" 'bpe ; n 'i 6V ! inspection • for a. certain number of days,; and further, i that it' shall be incunibeut upon the '• Clerk or Secretary of 'the lboal body, claiming such rate £fc.Q post a notice to the person r from whom such; claim is ma.de^ befoye legal proceedings can be taken. But, let us see how far such precautions will act as a Safeguard that an injustice will hot be perpetrated. With regard to the first— that 6$ having the privilege! of examining the: ; rate-book as ( tQ whether a name a.ppcai'B, At first ! sight, that may appear quite right, j^|.we"^,VJip,w.,'Si'\|3rQi?? Smith, of Auckland! 'to know that' he will, be rated for land m cities hundreds, of triiles ' away ? With ' referenoe tQ which' is supposed to pro, tecr, got the ratepayer, but the supposed ratepayer, it is a mere farce. All thftfc the Act requires of the servants 'of iacfitV bodies is, that they will be able t6 prove thaj; a notice was'despatchedto the person sued j proof oj the. service of the notice, being entirely ignored, It. will be thus seen, that r| the official .learns [ that John Smith, who resides m 1 Welliagton, ig the owner °^ * P ieQe

of land, but has no clearer address all ho lias to do is to send the notice to that aldress, and some member of the Smith family becomes the victim. Let us quote a caso inpoiut. On Thursday, a resident of Sandon, named Alexander Coburn, was sued by the Collector of the County Council for rates upon land m Pitzherbert, said to be owned by him. The defendant testified upon oath that to his knowledge he had never owned a foot of ground there ; but as he had been a Volunteer, and had received scrip for his services, it was just within the bounds of possibility that the person to whom he had sold it, might have selected m that district ; he had never paid a penny rates upon the land ; that for the past two years he had not a notice claiming rates; and further, he produced, as a witness, another Mr Alexander Coburn, who stated that he had been j receiving the notices intended for his namesake, and naturally enough tore them up. The defendant had to journey from Sandon, fee a solicictor, pay rates, and also costs, because he had not attended to a notice which he had never received. In giving judgment against him, the Bench admitted that the case was one of great hardship, and a clear proof that the Act wanted considerable amendment, and that some step m that direction Bhould be taken this Session. In making our remarks we do not m the slightest wish to reflect upon either the Secretary who issued the notices; or the Collector who sued, for as the latter very pertinently remarked, if he were to wait until he could by his own endeavour* discover the person properly liable, He would spend a larger sum than he received m commission. The Clerk, Colleotor, and Bench are only the instru. ments m carrying out the Act, who all admit, as we feel convinced the public will also do, that there is great need for reform.