INCREASED RATES?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 126, 31 May 1938, Page 6

INCREASED RATES?

HIGHER LEVIES TO BE PAID. To the Editor. At the first meeting of the newly-elected City Council the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davie, in his preliminary remarks, hinted at a possible increase in the rates for the coming year. Is hk memory so short that he does not remember that he was elected tut a few days ago, and a strong Citizens' council with him, just to prevent such a thing happening? Did he not remember aleo in his closing remarks when, last addressing the old council that, when he claimed that good management had turned a substantial deficit into a much smaller one, he had an increase of 10 per cent in rates to help him, and 10 per cent on the huge amount collected by the Auckland City Council would amount to thousands of pounds? The ratepayers are looking for that 10 per cent to 'be reduced this year, especially as every year sees a large increase in our valuations, and a huge increase in the value of new buildings being erected. Now then, let us see the newly-elected and re-elected councillors fulfil some* of their pre-election pledges. H. ALEXANDER. [Seen to-day, the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis, said that he could add nothing further to the statement made at the last council meeting, that he did not expect any increase in rates other than the hospital rate imposed hy levy, which the council had no control over, and which amounted to increase, and the drainage rates, another levy, which amounted to id, making 2id in the £, as indicated by him. The estimates were under review by the various committees, and he was. not in a position to make any comment until they had been dealt with hy the council a» a whole.— Ed.]