Merivale rates

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 16

Merivale rates

Sir,—l was intrigued by the call for “equity” in the rating system, by Mike Robertson (“The Press,” August 3). After receiving a $67,500 “bonus” in terms of property values merely for owning a house in Merivale for five years, he insists that his rates be reduced by increasing the amount paid by ratepayers in other suburbs where property valuations have resulted in a much smaller “bonus” for their owners. In addition, many recent young property owners in the eastern suburbs had to take on heavy mortgage commitments to buy at the inflated prices of 1985. The present system of rating is equitable. Long-term property owners in Merivale are doing very nicely thank you. - Yours, etc., D. J. ROWLANDS. August 3, 1985. “To print or not .. Sir, — Your leading article, “To print or not to print” was fair comment on police news/media interaction with regard to public disclosure relative to critiftl ongo-

ing events. News censorship, albeit responsibility, was clearly remiss before the battle for Goose Green during the Falklands War. Terrorist groups in particular have exploited the mindlessness with which their activities have been publicised at no expense to themselves. The effectiveness of any ploy is inversely proportional to the frequency of its occurrence. Is unbridled prurience the whetstone upon which we hone the checks and balances that constitute our perception of normalcy? Should we expect some “humane” limitations to the extent of the public domain? I believe the publication of hospitalisation details after accidents to be tasteless. Reports on criminal court hearings should never identify the complainant. Identifying details relating to any accused person should be automatically suppressed until a verdict of guilty has been reached. — Yours, etc., R. FRANCIS NAYLOR. August 5, 1985.