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summoned are content to wait for the summons,
treating it as the "final demand" for payment,
preferring to pay the small fee of 1s. charged for
the summons and hearing, and to hold their money
as a matter of convenience as long as possible.
That this is so is patent from the fact that only
five per cent. of those summoned attend the hearing,
the bulk of the remainder paying without
further proceedings being necessary.
An average of 30 Committal Warrants per quarter
were granted in respect of non-payment of rates,
the majority of the cases being those of persons who
sot the Vestry at defiance, and have no goods on
the premises on which distress can be levied, and
it may bo taken that practically the same persons
form the cases each quarter. In the large majority
of those cases also, when proceedings have reached
this extreme, the money is forthcoming.
An average of 14 cases per quarter were excused
by the Justices on account of poverty.
Valuation Lists.—One Supplemental and four
Provisional Valuation Lists have been made out
during the year, dealing with 324 Assessments and
raising the rateable value by £6,584.