INCREASE IN RATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20332, 13 August 1929, Page 7

INCREASE IN RATES.

FRANKLIN COUNTY RIDINGS.

DEPUTATIONS TO COUNCIL.

[nv TELEGRAPH. —OWN COItKESrONPENT.'J PUKTjKOHR, Monday. Requests to the Franklin County Council to reconsider its decision to increase the general rato in the Drury and Mercer Hidings this year were made at to-day's meeting of tho council by deputations of ratepayers. On behalf of the Opnlioko-Uombfiy-Karaka Ratepayers' Association, Mr. R. Armiger said the association wished to support, the protest of tho member for tho Drury Riding, Mr. 11. J. Flay, against the increase. Last year the rato had been reduced from ljld to lgd. Even with this reduction the revenue had been decidedly greater than in the previous year, hut for this year tho council proposed to again levy a rate of 13d. Mi\ V. Cooper, secretary of the association, said last year tho riding had expended £2499 on riding roads, and £1338 on main roads. Tho riding's overdraft h;ul been reduced from £703 to £409, and there was £1241 in outstanding rates still to come in.

Mr. W. 11. Oram submitted a petition from 18 ratepayers at the northern end of the riding, near Papaknra, strongly urging the council to reconsider tho matter. I'liey stated that their holdings were mostly small and it was impossible to obtain rnoro wealth from these holdings to meet the extra rates. The result was that tho occupiers' tenure of such holdings was becoming precarious. Tho county chairman, Mr. J. N. Massoy, M.P., said many reasonable requests for work on tho outer roads in the riding had been received by Mr. Flay, wbo bail bad such work done in a considerable number of cases. This had thrown an extra burden on the riding finances. Should the income in tho riding this year prove greater than the expenditure tho ratepayers would receive the benefit in reduced rates next year. In regard to (ho increased rale in Morcer Kiniiu?, Mi. ,T. Woodcock, president of the IOKCno Chamber of Commerce, spoke on behalf of a deputation. He suggested that the council should strike a flat rato oyer the whole county, to cover the cost of maintenance of main county roads, in lieu of charging each riding, with a proportion of tho cost on a valuation basis. _ It was stated that in tho Mauldi Riding tho rato was also being increased by 1-Bd. but even with tho increase tho riding revenue for the year was already almost all expended. The council confirmed tho striking of tho rates proviouslv fixed, subject to a rcbato of 5 per cent, on tho general rate for prompt payment.