RATE INCREASES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 39, 15 August 1939, Page 11

RATE INCREASES

LOWER HUTT BOROUGH

COMMITTEE TO MAKE STATEMENT

Referring to the publicity given by Means of letters and a statement by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Andrews) in the "Evening Post" to the increases in the Lower Hutt Borough rates, Councillor W. C. Gregory, at last night's meeting of the Lower Hutt Council, criticised a public statement made by Councillor H. V. Horlor, contending that Councillor Horlor's statement was misleading because he had set out to disprove figures quoted by the Mayor by including payments which had been made after the date" of the Mayoral statement. '

Councillor Gregory said everyone must realise that State purchases were responsible for a considerable shortage of revenue to the borough. The council had issued 4676 demands for rates, including 816 for State properties. The average demand for houses similar to the State houses was £12, and on this figure the revenue should have been £9792, yet all that had been received from the State was £2128 17s 9d, or less than 5s in the £.

Councillor Gregory asked Councillor Horlor if he could approve the action of the Government of devaluing for the purpose of rates State-owned sections by £40 while similar sections next door were not reduced. State housing was one of the main contributing factors in the increasing of the rates.

The Mayor said he regretted that Councillor Gregory • had revived the discussion on the question. No good pux-pose could be achieved by continuing the discussion, which had been ventilated" in the Press from both sides.

Councillor H. V. Horlor said he had no intention of continuing the discussion along the previous lines, but proposed to use another angle of approach. Councillor Horlor was continuing his remarks when the Mayor intervened and said that Councillor Horlor had not the right to speak of matters which had been discussed in committee.

Councillor Horlor was continuing when the Mayor moved that the council go into committee, on the ground that matters were about to be discussed which had previously, been dealt with in committee.

The Mayor's motion was defeated, Councillor E. P. Hay contending that Councillor Horlor had given no indication that he intended to reveal committee matters and that he should be allowed to proceed.

Councillor Horlor then moved that a committee composed of th.2 Mayor and Councillors E. P. Hay and J. E. F. Vogel should be set up to investigate the records of the council on the question of the increase in the rates and make a public statement thereon at an early date. He said the rates had been increased from 104 dto Is in the £ and people were asking why. He did not wish to shirk his responsibility for the increase. Last year the amount to be raised was £68,257 and this year it was £81,000, an increase' of £12,743. Councillor Horlor then quoted the increase in the reserves account, fire prevention account, sti-eets account, hospital account, land account,.-. and several others, and contended that the whole of the increases were legitimate and that when the public were made aware of the reasons they would be more comfortable.

The motion was carried, Councillors Mitchell and Gregory voting against it.