RUSH TO PAY RATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 10

RUSH TO PAY RATES.

RESPONSE IN WELLINGTON. £75.000 RECEIVED IN THREE DAYS The penalty of 10 per cent, on unpaid city rates in Wellington operated from Thursday last, hut owing to the great rush to pay since the beginning of the month, and more particularly in the last three days, only 12.34 per cent, of the rate remains uncollected. The total amount, paid this week up to Wednesday night was over £75,000, and since the first day of the month over £105,000. The total amount of rates paid np to Wednesday night was £445,886 12s lOd, on a rate estimated to produce £508,646, erjual to 87.66 of the whole rate. The cashiers who handle the rales receipts have had a very strenuous three days, working long hours in order to balance up each night. The usual time for closing the office is 3.30 p.m., but in order to give ratepayers every opportunity the time lias this week been extended up to two hours. The stream of people calling to pay rates began to increase on Friday of last week, when £5500 was received, and nn Saturday morning a further £2900 was received. These figures, however, were dwarfed by the figures for this week, which were as follows:—Monday, £10.428; Tuesday, £21,081; Wednesday, £43,596. WAITEMATA COUNTY RECEIPTS. BETTER THAN LAST YEAR. " Our rates are coming in very satisfactorily indeed," said Mr. W. A. Bishop, chairman of the Waitemata County Council, yesterday. "At the end of January the position was slightly better than at a similar date last year."