HOSPITAL RATING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 55, Issue 32671, 1 February 1946, Page 6

HOSPITAL RATING

RISING COSTS TO-DAY EFFECT OF SALES TAX RETROSPECTIVE (PAYMENTS The incidence of hospital rating was discussed briefly at the January meeting of the Piako County Council, held at Te Aroha, when Cr. W. C. Kennedy claimed that rising costs today would wipe out any benefits which might be gained if recommendations of the Parliamentary Committe were adopted. As a member of a hospital board he would say that body had over-exp ended its estimates by £7OOO, due to matters over which it had no control. Retrospective payments to personnel of hospital staffs amounted to several thousand pounds. Cr. Kennedy did not expect his rates to be any less when the new proposals came into operation.

The sales tax of 20i per cent, was very seriously affecting the position, continued l Cr. Kennedy. He illustrated his point by stating that a returned soldier had built and furnished a home, paying in all a total qf £507 in sales tax. The only relief could come from reductions' in cost. However, even if the Government paid the whole of hospital requirements, ratepayers would continue to pay nearly as much as individuals. POSITION IN MANGONUI BRIEF HISTORY OF CASE The MJangonui County Council’s action in not striking a hospital rate during the periods 1944-1945 and 1945-46 was discussed at the recent meeting of the Piako County Council when a brief history of the case was received. The Mangonui area was shown at 922 square miles, with a population in 1945 of 7603, of which number 38313, or 59.02 per centum, were Maoris. Valuations at 1937 were shown at £1,615,583 (capital) and £420,616 (unimproved). iFor rating purposes on the unimproved l value the area was divided 1 , into: European, 306,450 Native, 99761 acres; unimproved value £51,658; Crown 151,096 acres unimproved value, £54,382. There were 1202 value, £54,386. There were 1202 European ratepayers and 423 Native, and enquiries had indicated that at least 380 of the Native entries referred to deceased persons, the ownership now being “multiple” with no individual to whom demand's might be rendered. Rates Struck Bates for L*9 l 4?4—4‘S had been as follow:—'General, 6M; special, 2id; hospital (not struck), 3.63 d. European rates levied were £7949, of which £7155 was collected (rates were neither levied nor collected 1 on Native and Crown Lands), whereas rates for 1945-46 were shown as follows: General, 6Jd; special, I .3fd; hospital (if struck), 6.36 d. For the last six years that native rate demands were struck over £14,006 was written off. An agreement was now in force by which dairy companies collected and paid to the council id per pound of butterfat supplied by the Maori landowners, this having returned £371 in 1941-42, £4'3o in 1942-43, and £502 in 1943-44 out of correct rate of £l3lB. For eight years prior to 1935-36 the hospital rate had been stable at an average of £2608, but for the past six years it had been as follows (on European land only):— 1940- £3115, or 2.38 d in £. 1941- £3598, or 2.75 d in £. 1942- £5433, or 4.15 d in £. 1943- £5766, or 4.4 d in £. 194441945: £4749, or 3.63 d in £. 1945-1946: £8337, or 6.36 d in £. Relief Not Forthcoming Briefly the dissatisfaction leading up to the council’s decision not to strike a rate, and the position since that action, might be summarised 1 in the very inequitable position of the comparatively few ratepayers who met their obligations, and the large mileage of roads being maintained for the benefit of non-ratepayers, had been the subject of negotiations for relief over many years. No practical relief had been forthcoming, and the continuous increases meant that insufficient funds were available to adequately maintain the roads. In 1943 and 1944 concerted action by ratepayers culminated in a very large deputation to the council with a unanimous demand that no rate for hospital purposes be levied. The council had acceded to this demand when the deputation made it clear that ratepayers would not pay any races otherwise. The subsequent findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee appeared' to support and justify the contentions of the county, which could find no cause to reproach itself for the stand it took.