LOW RATING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21133, 7 April 1934, Page 22

LOW RATING

LOCAL BODY FINANCE 1 LYTTKLTON'S I WOl KARj g M POSITION | •r Because il po.-sc-.-c:- -üb.-tantial 1 dowments, land producing toniforlabiA rents, and lho selling ri.imt:; of vra(*B for ships, the Lyttclton Borough Co u ."B cil is in the happy pomlmo of impos lr ,B on (lie residents ci.e of the lou t -B rates of any borough io .\v w Zealaylf Moreover, when the cair for the £ f position of a periaMv •».-. unpaid tat, % fell due--Fcbiu-iry \m ! per cer of the total rales had been paid, a «J, this percentage . . !;!:;:;-:■ |i W i /,. of anv other similar bra! b ( ,d ) ra /t about" Christchun-h. • > While other borough- ai.d count*.l have suffered ciiiis.dorab'-- from ccrfi nomic stress. Lyitoiii •; has been ah*B to maintain financial pn.-rpss and '-•! was due mainly to ;h, , M'orts of •►''§ town clerk and hi., stall' ;h,u the rats* I were paid so promptly. A few "d 4 ~ 1 before tlie penally l >. a- imposed [t 1 staff called on as uiany residents't f possible and remind.ai Hum of ' liabilities. A .-.-'<»:. n; is b£-tk. evolved whereby :v.,<k:;!-, niav pXi Jf their rates in .-mad v i vk|y M;m"« --i S this has been of a -x.laon- lo nll'c° o i, ■ ccrncd. The rat<' i-. U, 3d in the 1 8 on the annual va!u<- m Sales to Shipping E The Mayor of 1..% ■•.■!;..;. ..Mr W -I Lester) slated yestt i day •, ha; the fin--1 figures would noi ,»■ .callable ur'f' Monday night, whr-n the onuncil'wouN I discuss the whole po.-mom Auckland Wellington derived considerate hj, revenue from the sale of water v, ( shipping, and although sa'es in Lr' telton had dropped. !h" borough li-'l still able to show a very satisfacto" i balance-sheet. ' J '-1 As the systems oi rating diifer, a,V* comparison is dh'licul; ;,i arrive'at V-.$ Paparua County Council, on the cat" I tal value comes, rvwi with ft.s per ce V.'§ collected of the total levy, and the-1 come Sumner 'unimproved value) Q-I per cent: Christchurch City Cou'rr ? (unimproved value l . <"".24 per cer ' Waimairi Count v Council .cani'v ' value). 34.6 per cent.. Rm-carton B e > ough Council < unimproved value) fper cent.: Hoathcnie Couuiv Cou'nc" (capital value;, :;:Mi;; per cent ■ an' New Brighton ' unimproved value" 73.1 per cent. Extension or I'criod In the Paparua countv the r<i'» levied was .-CGIM) and 'at March 11 £sßll had been collected. Sumner «• ceeded the percentage of last vcar bv 1 per cent. In the citv the" period for payment was extended from Mart 21 to March 31. and at the last date I 11.7 per cent, was outstanding, -fh,, H city has a capital value of £29,2650921 and an unimproved value 'c' \ £11,959.317, and the rate of uniir- v proved value is 2.! d in the £. In the Waimairi county the la- ! was £39.379 and (he amount collects ' was £33,331. The total levy h', Heathcote for the financial year w?i £17,587, and payments at the penalty ' date had brought in 82.G8 per cent o! ■ the total. The district is divided into ' five ridings. Cashmere paving uf Bromley lid. Mount Pleasant" Id the I Valley i,d, and Hillsborough Id. Newi Brighton, working on the'unimproved'i value, had collected on February ijf £11,626 out of a lew of £15.83*8 I