RATES PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 141, 16 June 1936, Page 10

RATES PROBLEM.

ARREARS COLLECTION. SYSTEM OF INSTALMENTS. PROPOSED NEW PLAN. A new plan for the collection of arrears of rates in the city was outlined by the Mayor," Mr. Ernest Davis, in his financial report to the Auckland City Council last evening. The Mayor pointed out that the arrears of rates totalled £157,000 and,' with av.view of stimulating collection, •two permanent rate collectors had been appointed, "During the current year, it is my intention to suggest means for further increasing the efficiency of the department," said Mr. Davis. "The treasury mjist conform to the requirements of the'law and of the Audit Office for the keeping of accounts in certain forms, j which places the treasury in a somewhat different position from the ordinary commercial firm. A further step towards the regeneration of rates collection in Auckland, is an arrangement just concluded, nnder which the property committee will take over the full responsibility for, and entire control of, the rates collecting department.

"The changes made or contemplated | are necessary improvements, which will contribute materially toward reducing the amount of rates arrears now outstanding," said Mr. Davisr "The position, is a serious one for the city. As arrears of rates are overtaken in the financial sense, so correspondingly is our debit balance lowered'. But ,no system of collection, however efficient', can attain its full measure of success without the wholehearted co-operation of the ratepayers. I issue an appeal to the ratepayers to co-operate with the city and pay their rates, and thus assist the effort the council is making' to restore equilibrium to its finances. It must be remembered that we are emerging- from a period of economic depression. The movement of expansion which has begun for business in general has accentuated the difficulty the corporation, with its defined limits of finance, meets in keeping step with the resultant demands made almost immediately upon its contracted resources. "I wish to indicate that I can see no point in the present method of .apportioning rate receipts to the various accounts, and I have arranged for a revision of the present system of apportionment, designed to ensure that no account receives preferential treatment, and each bears its proper relationship to the rating situation.," concluded Mr. Davis. "It has been suggested in one quarter that an effective means of accelerating the payment of rates is by conceding a discount. With this suggestion I m not in accord." i