§ 36. Mr. HURDasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to a pamphlet, issued by the Great Western Railway Company, in which it is declared that an extensive campaign of appeals against their assessments was to be conducted, which, the pamphlet admits, will probably compel local authorities to impose higher rates on the already overburdened general body of ratepayers, thus causing increased unemployment; whether appeals are being extensively made; and what action his Department has found it possible to take to protect the general body of ratepayers in the absence of the promised legislation to revise the incidence of local taxation?
§ Sir A. MONDI do not think that many appeals are being made against railway assesments. One of the principal objects of the recent agreement between the National Conference of Assessment Committees and the railway companies was to avoid the great cost of such appeals, and I am hopeful that the result of this agreement will be to save the ratepayers unnecessary expense.