MANY LICENSE FEES ARE NOW PAYABLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18959, 4 January 1930, Page 9

MANY LICENSE FEES ARE NOW PAYABLE.

CITY COUNCIL RECEIVES large yearly revenue. The beginning of a new year is the time when the funds of municipal authorities are considerably augmented by the collection of license fees covering a wide variety of activities. Few people outside those immediately concerned probably realise that license fees have to be paid each January by lodging house proprietors and shopkeepers who retail milk, to mention just a couple of the businesses that come within the list. This year the list has been extended, however, to include all premises where food is manufactured, such as ice cream factories, bakeries, small goods factories, etc. A license fee of 5s a year must be paid by the owners of these premises. The inspectors’ department of the City Council is responsible for the issue of licenses in the city, and at present the inspectors are busy making preparations for this work. Already lists of those liable to pay license fees have been prepared, and if the fees are not paid within a reasonable lapse of time the defaulters will receive warning notices. The following are examples of the license fees that are now payable: Hawkers, 3s a month or £1 a year; hoardings and advertising signs, 3d a superficial foot; lodging houses, £1 a year; milk shops, 5s a year; milk carts, 5s a year; theatre and public buildings, 30s for each 100 seats, minimum £5, maximum £2O; public eating houses, from 10s to £5 according to capacity; billiards rooms, £5; weighbridges, £1; septic tanks, £1 Is; dogs, 10s (2s 6d for working dogs); second-hand dealers, 5s from date of issue of license; balconies, 3d a superficial foot; keeping pigs, ss; public halls for dances, meetings, etc., £1 Is up to a capacity of 500 persons, £5 for over 500 persons. Hairdressers are required to pay a license fee of 10s 6d a year, and hotels £4O each, but these fees are not payable on January 1. Other licenses issued are in respect of dangerous goods, horse and motor-cabs, carriers and sandwichmen. The fees received by the City Council from the issue of licenses last financial year and the estimates for the current yeari'are as follows: Received. Estimate. 1928-29. 1929-30.

Last financial year licenses were issued as follows: Auctioneers 25. balconies 8, horse cabs 6, horse cab drivers 5, horse carriers (vehicles) 95 horse carriers (drivers) 97, hairdressers’ saloons 88. hawkers (yearly) 35, hawkers (monthly) 201, hoardings and signs 116, common lodging houses 14, milk shops 123, milk carts 209, public buildings 67, second-hand dealers 100 weighbridges 5, trade in streets 34. septic tanks 57. dogs registered 2308. pigs 2, eating houses 74, dangerous goods 462.

£ s d £ s d Publicans . 1,982 0 0 1,960 0 0 Club charters 25 0 0 25 0 0 Wholesale 220 0 0 220 0 0 Pawnbrokers 30 0 0 30 0 0 Auctioneers 415 0 0 1,400 0 0 Septic tanks 67 4 0 9 9 0 Milk 83 5 0 83 0 0 Drain 752 14 6 700 0 0 Eating house 172 15 0 172 0 0 Dangerous goods 630 10 0 630 0 0 Hoarding fees 212 9 2 212 0 0 Secondhand dealers 24 15 0 24 0 0 Wine makers 18 0 0 14 0 0 Hawkers . . 65 14 0 65 0 0 Advertising signs 5 4 6 5 0 0 Sandwich board 13 10 13 0 0 Balcony . . 16 17 0 18 0 0 Public buildings 342 11 8 328 0 0 Coffee and ice cream stalls 121 0 0 120 0 0 Hairdressers 44 2 0 44 0 0 Motor drivers 1,400 0 0 2,500 0 0 Kerbside pumps 66 0 0 66 0 0 Motor bus services 16 10 0 12 10 0 Vehicle 683 0 0 680 0 0 Heavy traffic 1,214 6 8 1,200 0 0 Dog registration 1,050 1 6 1,050 0 0 Weighbridge fees 30 17 0 30 0 0