HIGHER LEVIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22412, 7 May 1936, Page 14

HIGHER LEVIES

— " CHARGES BY BOARDS 1 H ONE TREE HILL PROTEST^. COST OF AUCKLAND HOSPITAL I' "ALARM AT UPWARD TREND" J Strong exception to increases estimated. to total £525 in the levies made by the Auckland Hospital Board, the Drainage Board and the Fire Board on the One Tree Hill Borough Council for. 1936-37, was taken by the Mayor of One Tree Hill, Mr. I. J. Goldstine, last night. The matter arose when a report ? on the hospital levy was received from the town clerk, Mr. A. Lcese, at a meeting of the council. The report stated that the hospital levy totalled £3699, an increase of £299. It seemed clear that the board could adopt no other course, particularlv in view of the substantial reductions in valuations effected in some of the contributing districts in the last two or three years. If, hewever, the council secured the promised revaluation of -the borough this year, the levy should bo much lower next year. A table included in the report showed that in One Tree Hill the levy per head ? for this year was 9s 2d, against 6s 6d in Devonport, 6s 2d in Onehunga, 5s 8d in Mount Roskill, 5s 7d in Takapuna and 4s 8d in Mount Albert. Criticism by Mayor

"While it may be true that the Hospital Board had no other course to adopt, frankly I view with alarm the upward trend of the hospital levy," Mr. Goldstine said. "Seeing that the Hospital Board proposes to embark upon a large building scheme, 0110 begins to wonder where it is going to end."

Mr. Goldstine recalled a discussion on the levy he had some time ago with the chairman of the board. He said the chairman told him not to worry, as in a short time there would be a big reduction in the levy because a big proportion of the loan indebtedness would be paid off. "What do we find?" asked Mr. Goldstine. "The moment they get near the end of that loan indebtedness they do not give the local bodies or ratepayeri relief in the form of a reduction.' All we can hope for is a substantial increase. I think the time is coming in the near future when local authorities will refuse to submit to this, and the whole matter will have to be thoroughly gone into, as it was some years ago." Board's Case Stated

Mr. W. G. Mulholland said that, as representative on the board for the area, he supported the increase shown, and held that it was well merited, owing to the increased demands made upon the board. A progressive policy was required of the board, which now included new members bringing netr ideas. If proposals could be carried out, within the next five years the Auckland Hospital would be in its proper place as a "No. 1 hospital." The board was embarking on the building of an administrative block at the hospital and also upon the building of a sanitorium in the Bombay district., "Talk of bringing down costs does not go down with me," Mr. Goldstine said. He expressed the view that the question of relief should not be one for the Hospital Board, but a national affair.

"The increase in the levies forlthe year over last year isr £525, equal to a 9-10 d rate in the sewered area and i_d in the pound in the unsewered portion," he concluded. "These levies equal 29 per cent of the total rates we collect in the area. This is why I say the matter will have to be seriously considered in the near future."