CITY RATES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19986, 22 July 1930, Page 15

CITY RATES.

LOWEST IN THE DOMINION. Speaking at Woolstoo on Saturday night, Mr J. McCombs, M.P., said that Christchurch was the lowest rated eity in the Dominion. It was difficult to make a strict comparison, there were so many factors to take into consideration. All the cities adopted different methods of rating, and items of expenditure in one city might be paid out of general rates, and in another city might come out of special rate. To meet all these various difficulties the Government Statistician for comparison purposes had to reduce all rates to a common denomination of average rate paid (including special rates) per £IOO of capital value, and tho following was th§ result:— £ s. d. Auckland ... . 12 4 5 Wanganui .. .. 13 0 2 Wellington .. 11 11 2 Nelson .. 14 10 7 Christchurch .. .. 10 7 5 Dunedin .. .. 13 0 1 TWO DECREASES. Separate rates for the year, as distinct from the general rate, were adopted by the Christchurch City Council last night as follows: Hospital and Charitabl© Institutions —Total for the year £30,732 18s 8d; amount already available, £1623 8s 2d; amount to be raised by rate, £29.755 16s; rate in the £, 311112500thsd; increase on last year, £IBO6 5s 8d ; estimated Burplus, £646 5s 6d _ , Christchurch Domains Board Total amount required £2451 16s sd, already available £l4O 3s lid, amount to be raised £2359 14b 9d, rate 'in the £ 117-2500thsd, decrease on last year £512 14s 2d, estimated surplus £4B 2s 3d. _ , _, , Christchurch Fire Board —Total amount required £7OOO, amount available £597 17s 9d, amount to be raised £655$ 19s, rate in the £ 129912500thsd, decrease on last year £7 15s. estimated surplus £157 16s 9d. ' Sanitation —Uniform annual fee, £2 per pan. , . Cr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., asked what the pan rate was last year. Cr. E. H. Andrews, who moved the adoption of the report, replied that it was 27s 6d. The increase of 12s 6d had been unavoidable owing to the number of houses being connected with the sewers. The report was adopted.