THE RATING TANGLE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 11

THE RATING TANGLE

I'J Z I'Z E'JITCB OF THE PRHSS. «;; r Your gentle satire in the subleader cf 'The Press" imploring the tepavers v-j rush in a body and pay n*amount of rates at once B 'r-d <=o ta.-e tr.e minds of bungling !Ar)'ovc-c:; :isat they may have a Chr.stmas u really priceless, ■ t'n l i-v.:. ■ ofc the queue next week > r * front oi the council office. I don't tn'-l)-' t. an eve-opener to read how (/ our city is carried on, ,i.7- in the amounts of the in rates is so great, that one what a number of our highly rVd"*C;tv 0,i::sc;l officials had on their l'r'*ds *t<> .-'uch a glaring piece of s through its course, to lit- Spotted .:immediately by the board M'Mcd, i.e.. the Drainage Build. Tni- brings us to the fact j'j I;;ctv be just as possible for scjtiuijs of the city to have bec:i jurt as heavily overcharged in rating tabulations, and it may be very wise to have this year's rate demands checked over by a qualified accountsr/Zlor tlvi:-: very reason. This tv.dcnce of gross carelessness b-/ the cfiicials concerned is really ainazing. and also the fact that the iristake' should go through so many tr'cre hands before being discovered j'i worse: and this is the class of work) ■thai the city is paying uncommonly hl?h saiarjrs for. Had a mistake of this ku-d happened in some private Instinct ib«* ones responsible would hp.ve been thrown out on their ear, in quick order, and it should be so in the present case in question. I can see nny big private concern appealing to their customers to come in and pay a lot of money so that their erring accountant and staff should have a happy Christmas after making a mess «f a "calculation that any fourth standard schoolboy would be ashamed of. Therefore I try to look on your subleader as a priceless joke, and I only hope the rest of your public will do fj also.—Yours, etc., RATEPAYER. rather extraordinary sense of humour has apparently got the better of him. Our leading article was not written in satire but was a straightforward suggestion pointing a way out of an unfortunate predicament. "Ratepayer" has obviously never made a mistake. We hope that he will eventually become as honest as he is infallible.—Ed., "The Press."] TO IHE IDITOB OF THE Pft«3». Sir,—V-'e have been satiated with fcs-urar.ces time after time that the Effairs of our City Council were managed in such a way as to make Christchurch an example to the world. A small error of a spare hundred or two is just something overlooked. If a minor miscalculation of this kind occurred in a bank or the Post Office the oincer responsible would of neceskiiv get promotion. There is surely fuificient staff in the council offices to attend to petty matters. If not, increase the staff, or sack the lot. Have a good spring clean. —Yours, etc., * ONLOOKER. December 21, 1934.