Paying for fire services

Press, 13 June 1986, Page 16

Paying for fire services

Sir, —It is interesting to read in your editorial that you advocate payment for fire services being spread more equitably through the community served. You recognise the need for community funding of the provision and maintenance of a useful service. Other important community services come to mind: railways, posts and telephones, electricity supply. Non-users of these services expect them to be in place at the time of need, just like a fire engine. Why then should not the community as a

whole continue to contribute to the establishment and upkeep of those services, too? The Minister of Finance could answer that by admitting that the proposed profits and dividends to be wrung from the new State corporations are taxes under another name. If it were not so cynical, the concept of raising costs to ourselves of our own services to be able to pay ourselves a dividend would be laughable.—Yours, etc.,

JOHN BENSON. Petone, June 9, 1986.