HOSPITAL LEVY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 92, 20 April 1939, Page 11

HOSPITAL LEVY

RATEPAYERS AFFECTED

The rise in the hospital levy is going to cause a heavy increase in the rateable burden of the ratepayers of Lower Hutt and Petone.

Asked this morning how Lower Hutt would fare under the increase, the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Andrews) stated that the amount meant an extra penny in the £ on the unimproved rateable value of Lower Hutt, or, in other words, an increase of £1 on the average section in the borough. This, he said, would be sad news for the people of the district. However, he must confess that he was not surprised that there was an increase, although he did not think it would have been so heavy.

It was, he said, interesting- to note that at a conference held about twelve months ago, the Mayor of Wellington had forecast an increase which, speaking from memory, was, he believed, within £1000 of the amount now asked. Mr. Hislop's statement Avas received with derision by the then members of the Hospital Board.

"The Question of. the rising costs," said Mr. Andrews, "is evidently part of the- policy of spending your way to prosperity."

Mr. G. London-, Mayor of-Petone, said the increase had come as a shock to him. He had anticipated a rise in the levy from Petone at about £1000, but the increase was about £2000; and he could hardly believe that there was not a mistake somewhere. If seems as if the question of economy was not receiving any consideration.

The increase meant that the council had to raise 13s more on each £ 1000 of capital value, which would amount to about 15s increase to the average ratepayer.