PAYMENT OF RATES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 17, 21 January 1931, Page 8

PAYMENT OF RATES

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Mr. W. H. Field states that the Government has promised to, consider hi; suggestion that local bodies should' sua pend the 10 per cent, penalty for defauli in payment of rates in order to assist ii relieving distress. According to the Presi report I fail to see any promise in Mr Ransom's reply. As the matter is on< for local bodies to decide,-1 am at a loss to understand, why Mr. Field should ap proach the Acting-Prime Minister. Mr Field considers that a far more equitablt penalty would be a heavy rate of interest even 10 per cent., on the amount o£ the rate from the penalty date. This is exactly what the 10 per cent., penal tylneans and Mr. Field proposes to suspend whai he suggests as an alternative. The only conclusion .1 can arrive at is that Mr, Field has been misreported. 'Had Mr. Field approached the ActingPrime Minister with a request that the operation of the Local Bodies Finance Act (1921-22) be suspended (at least such clauses as make it a hardship under present conditions) he would have been on more solid ground. There is a liability an local bodies, under this Act, which makes it imperative that they cannot relax in their endeavours to collect rates, otherwise' the annual balance would not receive the approval of audit. My council ivould be only too pleased to be able to neet the present difficulty, but at present ive are obliged to run the business within ihe four corners of the" Statutes. After ill we cannot carry on without money, and ,vhen local bodies have no money there ivill be more unemployed.—l am, etc., B. WINDLEY, Chairman, Makara County Council.