HOSPITAL RATES

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 54, Issue 32623, 19 September 1945, Page 5

HOSPITAL RATES

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Tn a report of the August meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council you report Cr. C. Webb as saying he had had no complaint from, any ratepayer regarding hospital rates. Firstly I will give a few figures which will enlighten the ratepayers of their position regarding the method of collection of the hospital rate. The

rates paid by the Paeroa Borough is per head of population approximately 12s, the rate paid by the Waihi Borough is per head of population approximately 8s sd, the rate paid by the Hauraki Plains County is per 1 head of population almost 2‘3s while the rate paid by the Thames Borough, (with the hospital in their midst) is only about 7s lid per head) of population. The rate is not a charge on income. A person could have an income of £lOOO a year and yet not pay a hospital rate while another person’ with an income of only £loo' a year would be paying a hospital rate. A farmer with land in the Hauraki! Plains County valued 1 at say £2OOO, would about £l2 10is this year. (The ratepis about 2s per acre on some farms on the Plains), while a person coiild have £2OOO invested ia say a carrying business and perhaps having an income larger than the farmer and yet only pay a few shillings hospital rate.—l am, etc., W. H. CHBALE, , RjD., Paeroa.