PAYMENT OF RATES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29145, 4 March 1960, Page 10

PAYMENT OF RATES

96.1 Per Cent. In City

With £235,000 received across the counter or in the mail on Wednesday, the Christchurch City Council has received £1,616,518 in rates, or 96.16 per cent, of its 1959-60 levy, without a penalty for late payment. Wednesday was the last day for the payment of rates without the 10 per cent, penalty. There will probably be some amounts to be added when mail from outside Christchurch but bearing a postmark before midnight on Wednesday is received. At the corresponding time last year, 96.83 per cent, had been collected.

Outstanding this year is about £65,000, compared with £48,759 last year. Some ratepayers arrived at the council’ offices yesterday and preferred the net amount, but had to be told that the 10 per cent, penalty was automatic. “If a train goes at 9 o’clock and you get to the station at two minutes past, you can’t call the train back,” was the example given by one council officer to a protesting customer. One county clerk commented that there had been a general downward trend in rate collections oVer the last four years. This was contrary to what had been expected after the introduction of pay-as-you-earn taxation, as the fact that income tax was payable in February was a stock excuse for the late payment of rates. However, it was usually found that the list of ratepayers who incurred the penalty contained some of the same names, and as rates had increased the difference was not so marked as it appeared. Calls to Ratepayers

In Waimairi, the only local body to have a better collection than last year, the result was achieved partly through the staff working late and telephoning forgetful ratepayers to remind them of the date. Collections by local bodies of the metropolitan area outside the city were:— Waimairi County.— £234,548 collected from £239,948 (97.7 per cent., compared with 97.1 per cent, last year. Rlccarton Borough.— £73,061 collected from a levy of £76,159, or 95.9 per cent, (last year 97 per cent).

Heathcote County.— £60,021 collected from £62,283 levied, or 95.1 per cent-, compared with 96.4 per cent, last year. Paparua County.— £104.407 collected towards the £109,938 levied; 94.96 per cent. (95.94 last year). Halswell County.— Collection 98.6 per cent- of levy.