City and Hospital Finance

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 104, 27 January 1931, Page 7

City and Hospital Finance

Sir, —It seems wrong that the ratepayers are going to fight among themselves over the Mount Victoria and Bowen Street routes, the same as the City Council did. The council had to call in a commission to arbitrate and examine all routes, and it advised, firstly, to go on with the east and west route, as the council had made a good start at the Karori end, then, to take the Mount Victoria route, and so on as funds permitted. Therefore, it is not the council, but the commission’s schemes that are being carried out. The ratepayers must recognise that the tramway is the poor man's car, and is for his convenience, and is not required as a money-making concern. The roads must be widened, and footpaths formed for the ordinary man who has no motorcar, and double tramway tracks made everywhere. The council has gone on steadily, doubling rails, and definitely said they will go on doing this out of revenue. They are trying hard to keep the three-section ticket. All praise to them for this boon.

Ratepayers should realise that, ojwing to Wellington’s steep hills, buses can never carry the rush-hour hundreds of people to their homes. We all know the approach to the Mount Victoria tunnel wns started to give work to the unemployed': also at Sydney and Bowen Streets again unemployed.

Ratepayers might suggest to the council that too much money is being spent on reserves and playgrounds. These should wait until all footpaths and tram work has been finished. . The Mayor states that he intends to make a statement in regard to finance for the Mount Victoria access. The money for Bowen Street tram tracks, which comes from the electricity department, is money which is owing to the ttramway department, which should be spent, as it is intended, on tram work. The ratepayers should cast their eyes on the Hospital Board. They advertise considering a £22.560 loan on January 29. Although the general rate for the city has remained the same for two years, the Hoe-

pital Board’s demand has increased these two years. The board demanded from the city rates in the year 1927 £40,169,, rising steadily each year about £5OOO, until now, 1931, the total is £61,538. These figures are taken from the Wellington Year Book. In addition, the board charges its patients 12/6 per day, and not many are free patients, These facts the ratepayers should protest against. What are the Civic League and the Ratepayers’ Association doing about this?—l am. etc., A. S. BOYD. Wellington, January 23.