CONCERN EXPRESSED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19883, 9 March 1939, Page 4

CONCERN EXPRESSED

WAIROA COUNTY RATING HIGHER HOSPITAL COSTS “LAND CANNOT STAND IT” (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Concern at the inability of the council to bring about a reduction in rating was expressed at the monthly meeting of the Wairoa County Council yesterday by Cr. D. V. Thomas, who stressed the need for watching expenditure very Carefully in the future. “I am living for'the day when we can reduce rating in this county," stated Cr. Thomas, who added that councillors should go into the question of rating and think out what was a fair thing' for rating the land.

He contended that the county could not stand the rates that were being put on at present. With the increase in hospital expenditure coming on £9OOO would have to be found this year instead of £6OOO. The land could not stand it.

Cr. Thomas added that it was two meetings before the counciL passed the rating for the new year, and between now and then they should find some way of “cutting the coat to suit the cloth.” They should only spend what they had and not run up high expenditure.

Cr. S. A. Dickie, agreed with Cr. Thomas and pointed out the inefficient machinery the council possessed. He asked why did the council let contracts with no machinery to do the work. The old graders should be replaced with modern ones. With, the road metalling going on at present the council needed good machinery.

The chairman, Mr. A. T. Carroll, said that they did not foresee the hospital expenditure. “If we keep on the way we are going it wiLl be complete disaster,” he added. “We cannot run inefficient machinery economically. . The chairman asked councillors to think the matter over between now and when they came to frame out the estimates for the coming year.