HIGHER RIVER Napier Viewpoint

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 146, 5 June 1936, Page 6

HIGHER RIVER

Napier Viewpoint

NO. I WARD AREA

Napier Should Pay Leu Than Hastings

VALUES COMPARED

That the portion of the Napier borough which was in the Hawke’s Bay Rivers Board’s No. 1 ward should contribute less towards river rates than the Hastings borough was the claim made by Mr J. M. Runciman, counsel for the Napier Borough Council, at yesterday'! session of the Government Committee of Inquiry into River Board matters. The reason for Napier’i submission was that, in capital value, Hastings had more to protect than Napier.

Mr Runci-jian pointed out that since 1919 the capital value of the Hasting, borough, which is in Ward 5 of tho rivers district, had increased by about £BBO,OOO, whereas the capital value of that portion of Napier in Ward 1 had increased by only approximately £400,000. '

His submission was endorsed by the Town Clerk for Napier, Mr F. R. Watters, who gave evidence to the committee. The capital valuation of Ward 1, he said, was £1,322,000, while that of the proposed added area was £70,399. On an improved-value basis, tho percentage of the added area should be 8.4, based on the percentage of rates paid by the existing No. 1 ward. On an unimprovedvalue basis, tho percentage should be 8.5, •

EARTHQUAKE LOSSES.

Tho Napier borough suffered a loss of approximately £250,000 in essential services as a result of the earthquake. Money raised for reconstruction services totalled £200,000, however. Tho sum of £lOl,OOO was free of interest, but the balance of nearly £lOO,OOO represented a rate of about £6OOO a year, definitely attributable to earthquake reconstruction.

Napier drew most of its benefits from farming operations from the north, and

the East Coast railway, he considered, would be of tremendous advantage to Napier’s interests. “While the amount of the Rivers Board rate for Napier and Hastings is the same, I think it is worth pointing out that there are fewer ratepayers in Napier than in Hastings, with the result that while Napier ratepayers are rated one-third of a penny, Hastings ratepayers are rated only one-tenth of a penny.” ’ Mr Holderness (counsel for the Hastings Borough Council: When you spoke of farming interests, you weren’t thinking of wool, were you? Mr Watters: No; I was thinking more of shopping. • You have been here long enough te see floods, haven’t yop?—“Yes.”

CUT OFF FROM SOUTH.

And you have seen communication with the south completely cut off!— “Yes.”

You consider, in fact, that Napier has a very real interest in flood protection work?—“Yes.”

Do you suggest that Napier has been so unsuccessful since 1919, and Hastings has been so successful, that Hastings should bear part of the burden that Napier bears? —“No; I don’t suggest that.” Do you think that an increase in capital value denotes whether a town is getting along satisfactorily?—“Yes; I think that is very largely a criterion.” The case for the Napier borough portion of Ward 1 will be continued when the committee’s session resumes at 10 o’clock this morning.