RATES GO UP

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 247, 19 July 1928, Page 13

RATES GO UP

RESULT OF “UNIMPROVED ’ POLL SOME CONCRETE INSTANCES

(By n.r.) Frequently the Mayor has assured ratepayers Hull there was lo be no rise in the rales this year, and on that assumption lias (li’dined to undertake many works on (lie score of film nee. 'l’heoretically.f the Mayor may be right, but practically he is not, to judge from concrete instances of rate demands issued Hiis week, and which plainly tell that there lias been an increase in tho rates. It may be argued Unit this has been brought about more by “the will of the people” than by a decision of the City Council, as the increase appears to be caused chiefly—ns regards properties in the city proper—by the change from rating on annual value to unimproved value (decided by the poll of hist year) in respect to the water, and the hospital and charitable aid rates. Certain it is that Hie Corporation will reap a rich harvest if the increase in rates on all properties ic proportionate to those submitted to inspection. One case is that of a property in Thorndow —an ordinary six-roomed dwelling—on which the rates have been increased from £lB os. lOd. to £2l 10s. 3d., a difference of £3 4s.'sd. The water rate for last year is shown as £3 15s. lid., and this year as £5 Jos. Bd., so (hut of (he £3 4s. sd. increase in the total, £2 os. 9d. more is charged for water, though no more is used annually than has been the case for a decade or more past. Such a rise seems to b c rather disproportionate, as it is known that the rest of the increase is due to the growing demands made upon the people through the City Corporation by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board.

Another case is a brick dwelling of twelve rooms, which only shows a slight increase in the total rates—from £37 Gs. Id. to £3B 2s. Id., yet of that lGs. increase, 9s. 9d. is shown as the increased rate for water. This is a small item, perhaps, but it shows the proportion of increases in the water rate attributable to Ibc change in the system of rating from the annual to the unimproved value. In instance No. 3, the total rate has risen from £2B 9s. 9d. last year to £32 Bs. 5d., an increase of £3 Bs. Ud., of which sum £2 10s. sd. is represented on the demand as the increase in the water rate.

To point tin anomaly, still another instance showed a reduction of 7s. 10(1. in the total rale for a property, and of that reduction ss. 2d. was for water, though there is no reason to assume that this service will not bc as liberally used as in the past. There is no reflection intended on the council or its officers in this matter; indeed, there may. bc instances showing the very reverse state of things. The difference lies in the system of rating. The annual system took for the adjustment of rates G per cent, of the capital value, whereas the system now adopted (for waler and hospital and charitable aid) takes no cognisance of capital value —it is only the value of the land itself—a matter entirely in the hands of the Government; valuers, It will, however, be seen to work out rather disconcertingly to some people.