INCREASE IN RATES

CITY COUNCIL’S DECISION

NEW EXPENDITURE EXPLAINED

An increase from 3Jd in the £ to 4d in the £ on unimproved value in the general Tate and from 31-64 d in the £ to 7851/15625 d in the £ (slightly more than Jd in the £) in the special rate to meet interest, sinking furids, and bank charges on loans was approved by the Christchurch City Council last evening, when the estimates for the 1944-45 financial year were adopted. In moving the adoption of the estimates with a general rate of 4d, Cr. M. E. Lyons, chairman of the finance committee, said it was only necessary to glance through the estimates to find special sums which explained the id increase in the general rate, which was equivalent to £24,000. Some of these items were:—

Street widening, land purchase, £1000; Galbraith avenue (new road), £900; street construction, £1400; Mount Pleasant sea wall, etc., £2340; new conveniences, £1000; air raid shelter demolitions, £1850; Risingholme, alterations and lay-out, £1800; English Park. £500; new mowing equipment, £1500; new seats for parks and river banks, £550; development and expansion committee. £500; printing rolls, £1450; election expenses (less receipts from other local bodies), £2500; Takahe, £4500; maintenance of libraries under the control of the council, £I2OO. Cr. G. Manning criticised the raising of the rates to what he thought was the highest level any body of Christchurch citizens had been asked to meet. The highest expenditure m one year in the life of the last Labour council was £157.000. and it had risen this year to £193,000. yet at the last election but one the present Msyor had said that Christchurch "could not afford the luxury of a Labour counoil M ,: My reply is that God only knows what the rates would have been had Labour continued in control of the council,” said Cr. Lyons, who pointed out there had been big accretions to The were adopted and the rates struck after a debate of nearly two hours, ending shortly after 1 a.m.