C—l 4

104

H. D. MOEPETH.

Mr. Mitchelson : And you see the results all over the streets at the present time. Mr. MeVeagh: 1 say," why not, il ibis system has been devised for assisting the financial requirements of the local bodies/ The Chairman : I take it the point we want to get at is this: this system has been devised for the purpose of meeting the sudden growth and requirements of mining townships. Mr. MeVeagh: And the vicissitudes attendant thereon. The Chairman: At Waihi .here has been a large grow th. no doubt, and I hey have met that, anil expended large sums of money on roads, and channelling, and various luxuries—not necessities if the town is not to be of a permanent character. The point is, how far is it necessary ~, go on.' What are the furl her essentials not complied with I Mr. MeVeagh: 1 will develop thai in my evidence. 1 will show there are very serious requirements to provide against. 96. Mr. MeVeagh.] What other industries have you got besides milling.' No other industries. 97. Nothing else to support the borough? Nothing. I would point out (he fairness of this tax inasmuch as it is levied onlj on mines that are winning gold. All the other struggling companies are exempt from it. 98. The Chairman.] So that a company which sits down and does nothing, and waits for its neighbour to develop, pays nothing?—! said, struggling companies. They have their labourconditions to comply with", and the Warden has jurisdiction over ihe whole of the goldfields. I would point out that a change in mining legislation will be a factor m confirming the view now held by many that .here is no end to change of gold-mining law, and that is a deterrent to Ihe investment of capital. 99. Mr. MeVeagh.] You get no Government grants, I think, excepting the statutory gram every municipal body gets in respect to rates collected by .he 30th June? -We have never had a penny. . , 100. You have prepared a statement showing the permits issued for new buildings from the year 1903 down almost to the present time in the Borough of Waihi, with a statement of the average cost of each building/ -Yes: this is it [Exhibit No. 37.] We give it since 1906 because we have not a record for the first three years.

Waihi Borough Council.—Building-permits issued from 1903 to March, 1910.

101. The Chairman.] Docs that distinguish repairs from new buildings? Yes. 102. Mr. ''otter.] Can you give us, as near as possible, the population of the borough in 1902? The last official figures taken prior to 1902. and the figures we used in connection with the financial adjustment, were 4,813. _ 10-' i. So that in eight years the borough has only increased its population from 4,800 to 6,000? —I want to qualify that statement. The 4,813 referred to Waihi and ils surroundings- - because there was no borough in those days. 104. Were you acting then as secretary to the persons who wen- promoting the incorporation of the borough?—No. , 105. Were you one of the committee, or in any way interested I—] was not in W aihi. You know, I think, that the application for incorporation was opposed by the Ohinemuri County Council?— Yes. . , . . , . 107. Will you just look at this/ It is a copy of the memorial objecting lo the incorporation [Exhibit No. 38]? -Apparent!} these are the reasons for the objection. 108 It is staled there that the original assessment of rates was about £200 or £-'100 : can you tell us from memory what it was when you became Town Clerk ?—The general rate in 1903 was £200 17s. 7d. 109. You have told us you had a population then of 4,Boo?—Yes. 110 That was about Is. per head.' -Yes: men, women, and children. 111. And last year the rat,- came to between 2s. and 2s. (id. per head upon the then population .' —It came to a little over £1,000. . 112 Then so fai as the money produced by the rating of the people in the Borough ol Waihi is concerned, it does not anything like pay the salaries of the officials? Oh. yes! it does: because there are other rates. The general rate does not.

„ Permits for J ( ' ar - New Buildings. 1903 .. .. 34 1904 .. 44 1905 .. .. 66 1900 .. .. 57 1907 .. .. 93 1908 .. .. 102 1909 .. .. 91 1910 3 months. 21 to 31st March Permits for \veraee Total Cost. A ;:' , f' Additions,., Total Cost. " 0 t^ 1 ost - Alterations. I I £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. * * 13 * * * * |7 * * * * 30 * * 7.089 0 0 124 7 1 39 1,387 0 0 35 8 3 II 528 0 0 123 19 0 96 3.908 0 0 41 6 6 10,994 10 0 107 13 9 115 4,569 5 0 39 14 o 14,848 0 0 163 3 3 105 4,441 0 0 42 5 10 3,839 0 0 182 16 2 30 1.380 0 0 40 0 0 * 1003, 1004, 1905 —No record of class—mostly shanties and two-roomed ;he cost was kept. The buildings put up at that time were a very inferior cottages.