COUNTIES’ DIFFICULTIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18163, 10 August 1933, Page 5

COUNTIES’ DIFFICULTIES

PAYMENT OF RATES MINISTER’S REFERENCE “The Government, is not unmindful of the difficulties of the counties in getting their rates in, and has at present under consideration some methods which it is believed will help,” said the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. J. Bitch oner, in replying to the toast of “Parliament” at a complimentary dinner given in his honor by the Kaikonra County Council. The Minister’s statement followed a re?[Uest by the chairman, Mr. F. Monk, oj* information as to what the Government proposed to do to assist . counties which couldThot collect rates, but which had still to pay the full levies to other bodies such as the Hospital Boards. The Minister said that it had been found last year that the subsidy of 12£ per cent, had been of great assistance, both from the points of view of the counties and the Government. It had been found that it was of great encouragement to the payment of rates, and led the people to make greater efforts to meet their responsibilities. It seemed to him that the only way of affording help would be for the Government to take some similar notion now.

The Minister also detailed Hje policy he had adopted in considering'requests for assistance from the Public Works Department. While lie did not believe in spending large sums of money on nonessential projects, lip had been greatly concerned at the stale of access roads to some settlers’ properties, especially in the North Island. Tie believed it would bo a good proposition to improve the means of access to productive lands, and as Minister he was making a personal study of the requirements of districts which had nppliod for help, lie would do his best, to hqlp those in need of help, and he felt sure that there was much valuable work which could be done hv unemployed labor.