CITY’S RATES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 178, 28 June 1938, Page 11

CITY’S RATES

MAYOR EXPLAINS INCREASES. GROWING BURDEN OF COSTS. Explanations of the increases in rates which will be shown in the rate notices shortly to be sent out wero made in a brief statement by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) at a . meeting of the. Palmerston North City Council last evening. Although the Fife Board and Hospital Board levies had been going up steadily year by year from 1931 to 1937, the council had been able to meet the expenditure without increasing the. rates, said the Mayor. It was felt now that it was impossible to maintain this position for the simple reason that wages alone had gone up since last year by about £6OOO and the Fire Board and Hospital levy had each gone up by £2OOO, making £IO,OOO in all. The council believed that tub increases could not all come out of the general account, as that would seriously impair the conduct of the essential services of the city as far as reading and _ footpaths were concerned. The council had thus had to follow the lead of other cities in the Dominion. The Palmerston North City Council had been practically the only one that had not had to increase its rates up to this period. The council could not pay the extra money out of ordinary revenue ■without seriously affecting the general upkeep of the city and they were compelled to increase the rates, much as they disliked doing so. There was no other way of securing the money, unless necessary works were neglected. A special Fire Board rate had been levied and that rate had been allowed for in assessing the general rate.