TOWN HALL AT WINTON.

Southland Times, Issue 22076, 25 July 1933, Page 9

TOWN HALL AT WINTON.

To the Editor.

Sir, —As there is a lot of agitation about a Town Hall at Winton I would like the ratepayers to consider Councillor Ritchie’s warning about the proposed new hospital at Kew. We at Winton will have to pay our share towards keeping that “white elephant” going and a heavier hospital rate than what we have been used to will have to be paid by us for all time and we have also the Power Board rate to keep us happy. I don’t think that we could stagger under any more I noticed at the last meeting of the Winton Borough Council that the Town Clerk was instructed to take legal proceedings for unpaid rates. Yet in the face of that those same ratepayers are asked to pay additional rates just to please a few who have been classed rightly as “jazz mad.” The taxpayers have to pay their share of all the big building schemes that are getting carried on throughout New Zealand. Invercargill Hospital (£100,000), Dunedin P.O. (£100,000) and the Wellington Railway Station will cost a huge amount of money too. It looks as if the depression is no warning (and we are not through with it yet); but irresponsibles will carry on spending our money if allowed and the ratepayers will be left to pay the piper when the agitators are far away seeking pastures new.—l am, etc., “RATEPAYER.”

[Our correspondent is wrong in assuming that the cost of the Kew Hospital will mean a higher rate. The Hospital Board’s accumulated funds will meet this charge.—Ed., S.T.].