LOAN NOT OPPOSED

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 75, 21 December 1935, Page 8

LOAN NOT OPPOSED

Extensions to Hospital RATE BURDEN ON COUNTY “It appears to me that the proposed work is necessary," said the chairman of the Hutt County Council, Cr. D. R. Hoggard, when advice was received from the Wellington Hospital Board at yesterday’s meeting of the council that it proposed to apply to the Local Government Loans Board to borrow £155,000- for extensions to the hospital buildings. Mr. Hoggard said he did not think the council should oppose the application, although he thought they were going to be faced with a serious increase in rates. This year the hospital and charitable aid levy bad amounted to £3830 The Wellington City Council had secured a revaluation of the city, and the revaluation had been substantially reduced. As a consequence the city was transferring to local authorities a further substantial burden, a burden which would be further Increased by the new loan proposals, and possibly still further by the reduction in the scale of fees. He would hesitate to forecast next year’s charges, but without an increase in the levy they would be called on to pay £4480, without the annual charges on the new loan expenditure. “The hospital and charitable aid rate is a very severe burden on some ratepayers who can 111 afford to pay it,” said the chairman. “I feel that the incidence of the burden should be altered. A farmer with a large mortgage in fact is paying hospital and charitable aid ratg on his liabilities. The relief of the sick and needy should be a charge on the citizen according to his income, not according to his liabilities." He would move that the council not oppose the proposed expenditure, for he felt that the sick and needy would only receive the care needed if they had adequate accommodation. In seconding the chairman’s motion, Cr. S. Blackley said he felt the council should not lose the opportunity of stressing its objection to the Incidence of taxation. Cr. Hoggard’s motion was carried, with the addition that representations be made to the Government to alter the incidence of the hospital and charitable aid rate.