Bad News for* Mangonui County

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 290, 8 December 1945, Page 6

Bad News for* Mangonui County

GOVERNMENT OBLIGED TO COLLECT THE RATE (Per Press Associatiou.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. Referring to the press report that the Alaugonui County Council had decided to levy a rate estimated to yield about £3346,* the Alinister of Health (Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer) said to-night that the contribution payable by the council to the Hospital Board for the current year was £5337 Ss 4d. He explaiued that there were provisions in the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1926, under which t!io Vainer-General makes and collects hospital rates in districts for which there is no local authority. By section 59 of that act, certain of those provisions can be subject to direction by the Minister of Health and be made applicable where a local authority fails to levy such rate or otherwise to pay its contribution to a hospital board. Early in October the Alinister gave a formal direction under Section 59, with the result that the Valuer-General is proceeding to raise by rate over the county the amount of the contribution payable to the lioard, plus the estimated cost of collecting the rates. A legal opinion is that the ValuerGeneral is now obliged to proceed to raise the full contribution and the estimated cost of collection, notwithstanding the council's modified attitude. It therefore appears that if the council at this stage attempts to strike a hospital rate it will involve its ratepayers in still further needless expense.