Wellington City Rates

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 192, 11 May 1937, Page 11

Wellington City Rates

Sir, —Under this caption your first leading article .of May 5 deals _with the city council's imposition of £56,750 additional rates, bringing the total levy, quite unprecedented in the hiriory of Wellington, to £587,000 for the year 1937-38. Ratepayers are justly incensed. Thousands of ratepayers live on fixed incomes. Any increase in rates with a further rising in the cost of living is an intolerable hardship to such ratepayers. Thousands of ratepayers have had thenrents fixed on reducation and legislation keeps them stagnant, while repairs cost more and rates increase. Their position is worse. Business people with all the new Government’s law-enforcing penalties of higher wages and shorter hours suffer reduced profits and more rates to pay. Yet “The Dominion” affirms that all these “mav feel disposed rather hastily to rent their wrath on the city council for an increase of slightly over 10 per cent, on their rates.” Then you say this £56.750 of an increase in rates will be swallowed up by increased costs of administration from the Government’s legislation and the increased hospital levy. You mention certain increases which add up to just about half the total. Included in that is £12,484 on account of shorter hours. £5OO for the tire board, £2OOO for the Government’s housing survey, and £12,480 for more- works. The first two the council may not escape, but what right has the Government to impose such a survey when the housing job is entirely its own. And the works expenditure could all be deferred. Surely a vote of £182.000 last year ought to be good enough for this year? There are manyitems not disclosed and the ratepayers would like to know what they are. There is no necessity for the increase in works expenditure. The action of the city council, after the warning of the ratepayers to sanction more loans, in increasing the expenditure and raising rates, is flouting the judgment of those who have to carry the burden the council unnecessarily heaps upon them. It is well known that the cost of Wellington city administration could be cut down by £20.000 to £25.000 a year and no one hurt. Fancy spending £32.000 a year (1936-37) on reserves nnd increasing the expenditure by £5OOO ‘his year—£loo per Week. That at least is one of the items that shocks all ratepayers. And there are more yet undisclosed. —I am, etc., SIMON MAJOR. Wellington, May 7.