WAITEMATA COUNTY FINANCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20868, 9 May 1931, Page 12

WAITEMATA COUNTY FINANCES.

Sir, —On reading the financial statement drawn up by the clerk and published in last Thursday's Herald I notice that the county is in debt nearly a quarter, of a million pounds, due largely to' an extensive borrowing policy in the past. It now takes nearly half the rates that are collected to pay interest and sinking fund, tho large amount of £22,000 being required annually for that purpose. When there is added to that probably another £12,000' per year for wages and salaries and all other expenses, and a few more thousand as hospital and charitable aid levy, thore is very littlo left out of the ratfes toward the upkeep of tho hundreds of miles of road in the county, notwithstanding that the rates have been doubled and trebled in the past ten years. That is the principal reason why there is such an enormous amount of outstanding rates, nearly £13,000, which means about 400 ratepayers who now find it impossible to pay the high rates with their income noarly wiped out through the low price received for their produce. Even derating could not give, us much relief in the Waitemata County, for I do not suppose anyone would pay all the debts the county has incurred. The council has placed a millstone round our necks that will take a long time to remove. E. J- Hill, Sene. Hobson-ville.