MAYOR'S VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 7, 8 July 1938, Page 10

MAYOR'S VIEWS

RATEPAYERS' LOT

"INTOLERABLE BURDEN"

Consenting on the Commission's recommendations from the point of view of the expenditure involved, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) said that they would have the effect of placing an intolerable burden on the ratepayers. Mr. Hislop intimated that he would be taking steps with a view to urging upon the Government the necessity of a complete revision of the methods of raising money for hospital purposes.

"I have throughout looked at the question from the point of view of the means of the ratepayers of Wellington to meet the expenditure involved in the proposals," said Mr. Hislop. "Naturally I am more than ever perturbed when I find that the Commission makes recommendations involving expenditure of approximately £100,000 more than the original proposals made by the board themselves. There can be no doubt whatever that this expenditure, together with the maintenance charges involved when the work is completed, is going to place on the ratepayers of Wellington an intolerable burden.

"For my own part, I shall be taking steps at the earliest possible moment, after consulting my colleagues, with a view to urging upon the Government the necessity of an entire revision of the present methods, of raising money for hospital purposes.

In my view it is quite wrong that a limited number of people, namely, the ratepayers, should be called upon for special contributions for the purpose of carrying on these general purposes.

"The recommendations of the Commission now make this question one of immediate importance, and, unless the Government can be prevailed upon to alter entirely the present methods of taxation for hospital purposes, then there will be a crippling burden on this city, and no doubt on other cities throughout New Zealand where similar heavy expenditures are embarked upon."