LOCAL RATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 227, 22 September 1920, Page 8

LOCAL RATES.

EXTENDING THE LIMIT. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reports..) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. There was a difference between mayors in the House to-night over a clause in tlie Municipal Corporations Bill authorising an increase in the maximum rate's leviable from 2/ to 2/0 in the pound on the annual value, and from l_d to 2d in the pound on tlie capital value. Mr. J. A. Nash (Mayor of Palmerston) declared that the proposal was very dangerous. There was no need to increase the rating power if valuations were kept up to date, because the latter was a better method pf getting revenue. Mr. Luke (Mayor of Wellington) stated that Mr. Nash had put his views before the Select Committee "which considered the bill, but his arguments did not prevail. Mr. Luke assured the House that what might be called the cost of living had gone up enormously to local bodies. Mr. 1). G. Sullivan supported the last speaker, but Mr. Witty (from the same province) pinned his faith upon revaluation and making local bodies do their duty in this respect. Various members took sides on these lines. v < The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, who was at the moment in charge of the bill, explained that the maximum had been extended at the request of the Municipal Conference. Mr. Nash divided the committee, with the ohject of eliminating the extended rating powers, .but failed by 46 votes to 9.