Higher Wool Values Help County Rates

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7472, 24 May 1934, Page 3

Higher Wool Values Help County Rates

VIEWS or K TWITE A. COUNTY CHAIRMAN * "The sudden jump in wool prices at the January sales and tho satisfactory prices obtained at subsequent, sales were a real salvation for local bodies, and county councils in particular, as up to that time the position seemed hopeless, and tho outlook gloomy in no far as the collection pf rales was concerned,'’ said Cr. L. T. McLean (chairman) in the course of his annual report to yesterday’s meeting of the Kiwitca County Council. “The position of Ihe dairy farmer, unfortunately, is not so good, and unless considerable improvement is shown in tile butter market during the next few months many ratepayers will not be able to pay the current year’s rates. I am of tho opinion, that .conditions will return to normal without the aid of quotas or any change in the currency system. "The rise in wool prices was chiefly responsible for the collection of over GO per cent, of tho arrears and 03 per cent, of the past year’s rates,” he concluded. Later in his report Cr. McLean said: ‘‘Although tho council' completed the year with a substantial credit balance, every care will have to be taken during the current year, as extra expenditure will be necessary to maintain the roads and the present indications do not point to the restoration of affairs [to normal conditions as quickly as was anticipated.’ ’