Tynwald Court

TYNWALD COURT. DOUGLAS, TUESDAY. APRIL 25, 1916. Present: In the Council: His Excellency General's explanation of the alterations the Deputy-Governor (Mr Thomas Kneen), made, Deemster Callow, the Attorney-General, The Attorney-General: It so happens the Vicar-General, and the Archdeacon. that, since the House met to consider this In the Keys: The Speaker (Mr Dalrymple subject, sonic explanation is necessary to Maitland, J.P.), Messrs T. C. Kermode, bring the House face to face with the W, Quayle, W. F. Cowell, W. Christian, matter as it stands now. I shall be as 13. S. Corlett, A. Christian, J. W. Walton, little diffuse as possible; still I must E. J. Curphey, J. R. Kerruish, T. H. Cor- occupy sufficient time to enable me to put mode, W. T. Croton, It. Moughtin, R. it in an intelligible form before the Court. Clueas, J. Qualtrough, T. F. Quine, J. The,Bill, as originally passed, was a BPI Cunningham, J.! Garside, M. Curiae, and in relief of rates—the Local Authorities Col. Moore. Relief of Rates Bill. That Bill dealt exclusively with the question of loans, RELIEF OF RATES, enabling the local authorities to borrow money to relieve the rates -owing to the The Deputy-Governor: Since the last peculiar circumstances of the Island—the Tynwald Court the Committee appointed to urban districts of the Island. It will he deal with amendments suggested in the Bill, in the recollection of the House, that we called the War Emergency (Relief of Rates) passed a resolution voting £20,000 for the Bill have been in communication with the purpose of grants in relief of rates. So Imperial Government, and as a result there were two methods approved for certain amendments have been made in the giving the relief required; one was a power Bill which, 1 think. will meet with the for the local authorities to borrow money; unanimous approval of both branches of the other was grants to the local authori- the Legislature. I am taking advantage of ties for the same purpose. Well, now, the House of Keys meeting to-day to bring when the matter came before the Home the matter before the Court; because it is Office and the Treasury, they dealt with it one of great urgency, We are getting near as a whole. That was not a very un- 12th May, and maay'rating authorities are natural course to take; it seemed to be a uncertain what their action shall be with very convenient course. If the matters had regard to levying the rates for next year. been left entirely separate, we should, So, I propose now to ask the Attorney- carrying out the vote of Tynwald, have to General to explain at length to both appoint a committee to administer and branches of the Legislature the matters distribute the grants ; whilst relief would which wore in difference between this Tyn- would he given independently by the wald Court and the Imperial Government, method of borrowing by loans. As I say, and to explain how those differences have when the matter came before the Home been met. I feel sure, after the explan-. Office, they, not unnaturally, correspond- ation has been made, the House will unani- ing with the Government here, treated the mously agree to the alterations made, and matter as a whole. It was clear from the will have the Bill signed. With regard to two first letters which have already been, the particular form the matter should take, in substance, before the Court—that is the whether each Branch should wish to discuss letter from the Home Office on 7th March. the matter as a separate Bill, or whether 1916, enclosing a letter, of 28th February, we consider it to-day—that is a matter we from the Treasury to the Home Office. It can discuss later on; but, for the moment, was quite clear that the strong approval I think the most convenient course` forthe was for grants and not for loans. They House will be to have the' Attorney- felt a great difficulty about sanctioning Relief of Rates. 382 TYNWALD COURT, APRIL 25, 1r)1 G. loans, particularly because they did not matter was to treat it in one Bill; that want us to come upon available markets that was, in fact, the only practicable way that they might have to resort to them- of dealing with the subject. The two were selves. Unless I am asked I shall not so commingled, so inter-dependent—grants occupy time by quoting the letters in detail. and borrowing loans—that the only practi- I have them here, and can make reference cal way was to deal with the matter in one to them, if any member of the Court was really, in substance, the Bill which is desires it. But there they said strongly really, in substance—there were certain that if grants were made—if an effort were alterations made afterwards—but which made to collect the rates as far as possible, was really, in substance. the Bill which is and if grants were made—loans might now before this Court. We provided that possibly not be required at all, or the a Committee of Tynwald should be ap- amount required would be very much pointed to deal with the whole subject reduced. That :s the way they put it in matter of grants and of borrowing, and in the letters—I do not think any more defi- this way the two could be kept in their nitely than that—and they insisted that proper relations, and the views of the the loans should he raised exclusively in Departments in London could be met, and the Insular market. With regard to the the difficulties, which they foreshadowed, collection of the rates, remarks were made could be overcome. You will find, in look- in the Home Office letter and also that of ing at the Bill, that it is an attempt to the Treasury—I think it was in the first carry out—I hold it is a successful attempt letter that it was said—all means should be and a fair attempt to carry out that pur- exhausted before any borrowing was pose—and so far as we know, from the last resorted to, for collecting the rates ; whilst letter received from the Home Office, this the Treasury put it somewhat more mildly, Bill will meet their views, and will go and spoke of the rates being collected, or through without any further difficulty. I an attempt being made to collect theni may sat at once that one grave difficulty, without undue laxity. We had to make which was indicated by the House of Keys, the best of these expressions when dealing was the insistence that the consent of the with the Departments. Of course, if all Treasury should be obtained to each loan. means were to be exhausted to collect the rt was pointed out that, in the ordinary rates, that would have meant sueiag every- course of business, loans were raised in one, if they did not pay voluntarily, and this Island by the local authorities by vote selling them up—the very thing we wished of Tynwald, and we considered that the to avoid. We felt that would he the same powers should be given with regard effectual frustration of the very object we to the loans for the purposes of this Bill. had in view. All that was put as strongly It was pointed out most forcibly by his as it was possible for us to put it. Well, Excellency that he felt confident we would then, there were some other questions experience difficulty in carrying the Bill raised, such as about the special rate— through the branches of the Legislature if whether, where we were borrowing, that the Treasury insisted on that, and I am special rate should not be made payable by happy to be able to inform the Court that successive occupiers of the property whe.'2 the Treasury have given way. the arrears of rates accrued. We have Mr Crennell : Thank goodness for dealt with that. We have given way on something ! that point. Now this matter came before The Attorney-General: The loan is in a special committee—the same coin/nil:to.: the same position with regard to this appointed by this Court which has sat Aga .i, matter as the loans of local authorities at this morning. We had Mr Robertson, who other times with regard to other subjects. was representing the local authorities, If the members will turn to clause 7, they before us, and the matter was threshed out will see it provides a system for the ad- most fully. It was very difficult, indeed, ministration of the loans and grants. I to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, to think it will repay its to consider that a bring ourselves into conformity with the little in detail. The clause provides:— views entertained in London, and yet pro- A Committee shall' be appointed by the vide for the difficulty we were experiencing " Tynwald Court for the period until the here. The conclusion we came to was, " termination of the war, to hear and de- that the proper way to deal with the whole " tide upon applications from local Relief of Rates, TYNWALD COURT APRIL 25, 1916. 393 "authorities for grants, or for leave to figure as they were in the year which is " borrow money for the purposes of this about to expire—that is, the year from "Act''—the dual control could deal with May, 1915, to May, 1916—the amount of the two—" in respect of any year not rate in the should remain the same.

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