RATING IN H.B. COUNTY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 270, 29 October 1932, Page 9

RATING IN H.B. COUNTY

(To the Editor.) Sir.—Your correspondent, Mr S. M. Palmer, makes a tremendous fuss about the reduction in rates on the freezing works and Woodford House under the rating on unimproved value, and to drive home the point he gives a list showing how the rates in each riding will “jump.” He carefully avoids mentioning that an increase in the rate per £1 does not necessarily mean an increase in the amount of rates that each one will have to pay. For example, take Clive, the first riding in Mr Palmer’s list. The present rate is Jd, and Mr Palmer says that on unimproved rating the rate will jump to 1 l-Bd, that is, 6-Bths of Id to 9-Bths of Id. I do not pretend to be able to juggle with figures but it seems to me that you get the same total rates to be paid on £lBOO at }<l. as you get on £l2OO at 1 l-Bd. That calculation assumes that on an £lBOO property only one-third of the capital value, namely £6OO, represents improvements. So, on Mr Palmer’s figures (freezing works and all) the man who has improved his property stands to win if he votes for rating on unimproved value.—l am, etc., U. VALUE Greenmeadows, Oct. 27, 1932.