THE TURN OF THE SCREW.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 247, 18 October 1922, Page 4

THE TURN OF THE SCREW.

There »ceme to be an insatiable desire in .-umc governing circles to lind new way* of extracting money from the longsuffering community. The instrument is applied in innumerable plavcs, and often so quietly that the victim does not led it. For example, the average consumer do«e not realise the connection between UarboUr charges uud the houeuhold bills he lias to paj . In the liarhours AmeiulmenL Hill, introduced this week, provision is made lor raising certain cauguries of ihcui cliargvw. A si'i'lion ol tiiu nnncipai Act gi\cs a liar- .-:-. ( ,ur Hoard piiwer lv levy harbour imfiuvcraent ratee ujhju gooite u|< to a imuvimum of a/ per ton. A clause in tic piv>('iil bill makes i hat muMiuuin tliree shilling.-.'iin inciesu.: ol W \kv cvii.. AlK.ther part of liic bill r-wsee the limits of cbiiigcs in ;lic sihciui.- .il the principal Act relating to harbouruutstci-' fee.*, ]Hiri cliHijies. ;iiul piluiajic ran-. A [ii iiny a ton liccumc- twoiicin-p a ton in the hai'bourmastere' feee beetiiMi, and fur .-mall vi-si-ls- the ten shil liiiK i-liargt , is doubled. Tin- liniiu- of pi>rl 'in u'ssci? are raised from fifteeiii'ciice to two shillings a ton; liceii-e leo- for \c*-el- , ujiaweil ill hand iiirgn -ir pii-uMijjei> arc incruased I'ruin two to ihrcc guineas; and pilotage fee-, no vii fiTl> ]u\ sent. Tlie.-e incrcmcttill 'lillpr tliruugli .uul atlVd the c.i-i i.-f living. What are the reasons fur ilienC: A I In , hrij:lil of llic hdtilli in j : ii-. - i K'v- llliull! IlLU" 111-Oil Ulnll-1-1 Mild abli'. Inn wliiU juMilicMtinti can there li." tor them now. Parliament should .leiline in smieiioii any -itch inereasi-