ST. KILDA AMALGAMATION.

Evening Star, Issue 19044, 12 September 1925, Page 10

ST. KILDA AMALGAMATION.

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —I have road each letter appearing under this controversy, and, although three lawyers have stated their views, there is only one letter, to my mind, which has hit the nail on the head, and that is the letter m your issue of to-day from “ -loin Tip.’ 1 had a letter drafted practically on the views of this gentleman. Briefly, the whole argument is just “ Is St._ Kilda self-supporting, without the assistance of our city?” If not, surely none of its residents should be so mean as to try ami evade their responsibility to the city. If they are prepared to_ take their wages from work derived in thei city, even if their rates are increased, they ought to do as your correspondent advises, “join up.”—l am, etc., Land Agent. September 12.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—On the otli inst. a challenge was issued, through the medium of vour valuable paper, to Mr A. I. W. Wood to prove that the rateable annual value of property in the City of Dunedin was based on 5 per cent, of the Government capital value thereof, but so far the only reference in reply thereto is contained in a letter of the 9th inst., signed by Mr wherein he speaks or being accused of making misleading statements. As he has failed to accept the challenge, I crave your indulgence to place before the electors of St. Kilda the position as it really exists in the city with which we are asked to cast our lot. The facts are that the rateable capital value of the City of Dunedin as assessed by the Government Valuation Department on March 31, 1924, stood at £13,853.468. This amount at 5 per cent. —which wo are asked to believe by Mr Wood’s letter and also by yon, Mr Editor, in your leading article of the 4th inst.—is the rata or basis on

which the annual value would be assessed. Now, 5 per cent, on this capital value would only give £692.672, but we find the annual rateable value (vide Mr Lewin’s report) to be £929,029. Now, I ask Mr Wood what percentage does this represent on the capital value of the city as assessed by the city valuer? I think be will find that it amounts to considerably more than 6 per cent., yet Mr Wood and his amalgamation colleagues continually harp on the statement that 5 per cent, on the Government capital value is the rate of assessment in the city. We have already proved that in a few cases the annual value in South Dunedin represents just on 10 per cent, of the Government capital value v The difference between 5 per cent, of the Government values and that assessed by the city valuer amounts to no less a sum than £236,357. How can the statements contained in the correspondence columns of your paper by the leaders of the amalgamation proposal be reconciled with these official figures taken from the report of the town clerk of Dunedin ? Again, take Mr Wood’s letter of the 9ih inst., regarding properties in St. David street, Oxford street, and Musselburgh Rise. In the case of the St. David street property, he says the rates are £8 6s, but he docs not say that they will as the result of the sale rise to £9 19s 7d, as we contend they will. In the case of Oxford street, he says the rates are £9 3s 4d, but omits to say that they will be £l2 8s 4d. In the case of the Musselburgh Rise property he says they are £l7 Bs, but he does not disclose the fact that they will be £23 5s since the sale. What about Helena street? Did not Mr Wood quote the rates on this property to be £7 8s Bd, when “ Stafford Street” correctly informs ns that the rates will bo about £11?.—1 am, etc., G. Sthattox, President Anti-Amalgamation Committee. September 12.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—Your correspondent Mr Herbert Webb makes a most unfair comparison between Die rates he paid in Mornington and what he pays in St. Kilda. For a ten-roomed house and an acre of ground in the best part of Mornington Mr Webb paid £l2 10s per year. This surely must have been before Mornington amalgamated with tho city. _ A modern house (such ns Air Webb lives in at Musselburgh) of ton rooms, together with an acre of land in the best part of Mornington, is to-day worth between £3,000 and £4,000, and tho rates would be £SO per annum. _ Our St. Kilda streets are not in perfect order, but there are many streets in Mornington and in South Dunedin which are worse. The rich man with liis motor car and a largo garden wants improved roads and lower rates. Tho less wealthy folk, who in many instances arc with difficulty paying off their little homos, do not need to bother about a pothole or two in the wads, and, if they vote for amalgamation, they will get nothing that will benefit them; and, without a shadow of doubt, their rates, almost without exception, will be considerably increased. —I am, etc., HAL September 11.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Tho sole point that appears to weigh with correspondents to the Press on tho question of the amalgamation of St. Kilda with the city appears tho sordid one as to whether they 11911 lie required to pay more or less rates after amalgamation. But surely there are other points well worthy of consideration, and I think a broader view should bo taken and the progress of tho city as a whole considered rather than “ how much we can get and how little can we pay for it;” St. Kilda residents must recognise how entirely dependent they are upon Die city f<u everything they possess. But perhaps they hardly realise the many advantages they obtain without contributing to the cost of them. To take a few examples, St. Kilda residents get the benefit or the improved street paving ot tho city when they go to the city to work or ride in their motor cars to the railway station. But they do not think that tho cost of providing this is being borne by tho ratepayers of the city, and that they are enjoying its advantage free, gratis, and for nothing. A St. Kilda resident with half an hour to spare at lunch-time turns into the Free Public Library and enjoys the magazines in tho reading room or makes use of a. splendid reference library, again at the expense of Die city ratepayer. On Saturday, perhaps, he makes use of the football or cricket fields available for him in Dio city, or on Sunday lie finds his way witli his friends to the gardens lo enjoy their beauties, which are provided for iiira free by tho ratepayers of the citv. Their school children are taught to -aim in tho city tepid Baths free of expense, and adults can enjoy the tepid baths and the St. Clair salt-water barbs at less than cost price, while again the chy ratepayer foots the bill. The Ocean Bench Domain Board has an income of about £I,OOO per year for expenditure on the ocean front of St. Kilda, hut about 94 per cent, of this amount- is furnished by tho ratepayers of the city. Every morning the prayer of SI. Kilda to the city is “Give ns this day our daily bread.” and they mir-t realise that when they die they have to come within the city to find a resting place for their hones. Now, I would ask : Are St. Kilda residents content to remain for ever parasites of tho city like the ivy clinging to the old oak, getting all the support it requires and yielding little in return? Have St. Kilda ratepayers no mind above Dio few £ s. d. that it might cost them extra for rates if they join tho city? Do they not realise that, apart from the undoubted advantages which would accrue to the borough, amalgamation would spell progress in the history of Die city, and that they themselves would share in its future prosperity.—l am, etc., Advance Dunedin. September 12.