The Christchurch Star PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1934. OVER-RATING THE POOR RATEPAYER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20278, 12 April 1934, Page 8

The Christchurch Star PUBLISHED BY New Zealand Newspapers Ltd. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1934. OVER-RATING THE POOR RATEPAYER.

DISCOURAGING EVIDENCE of an improvident attitude of mind by certain local administrators will be noted in three definite proposals to rate the citizens of Christchurch for things that have never required a rate before. \Ve refer to the tramways, the museum and the St John Ambulance Association. It is almost tragic that at a time when the public generally, having eaten gradually but surely into their own private reserves. are beginning to institute forced economics of the more irksome sort, they should have these rating proposals thrust for—ward as a palpably unnecessary alternative either to economy or to better management. It is most desirable that the St John Ambulance Association should carry on, but the point was raised very pertinently by an Oxford re—presentative, at a conference on rating, whether everybody should “go on the rates ” for free ambu-lances-or only those who could not afford to pay. A Paparua County representative, also, put his finger on the spot where economies in social services should begin in inquiring when the use of ratepayers’ money for such purposes was to stop, and he gave point to his protest when he added that last year more than a third of the county revenue was paid away in Hospital Board levies. In respect to the museum, the Mayor’s apology for “a very small rate” is wholly unjustified at the moment. This third-rate institution never caused a ripple on the placid surface of local self-satisfaction until a few discerning visitors told us that it was third-rate, and if we have rubbed along well enough with it so far we can at least wait until the clouds roll by before putting an extra strain on the financial re—sources of the citizens. As for the tramways the need of the moment is an intelligent readjustment to the use of vehicles suitable to the demands of the service, and courage rather than conservatism will help the citizens out. LOCAL PRODIGAIJTY. ' ‘I'TNLESS the people realise howU each “ very small rate " contributes to the great volume of local taxation they will not he saved from a drift that has been eloquently noted in the National Expenditure Commission's report. The Commission laid stress on the fact that twenty-two years ago the system of local government was considered extravagant, because drastic econo—mies were proposed in a Local Gov—ernment Bill brought down by the Prime Minister in 1912. If the need for reform was then urgent, the burden of local taxation has in—creased enormously, the total expenditure of local bodies having risen between 1915 and 1930 by 224 per cent, and the rates, licenses and taxes by 181 per cent. It is not necessary to give a detailed list of the economies recommended, but foremost among them were such matters as are now under discussion in Christchurch at the very last time in its history when they could be regarded as practical politics. AN ALL-AIR ROUTE. THE SPEEDING UP of the Imperial air mail services to South Africa and India is the result of Lord Londonderry’s conversations in Rome. Quicker travel has been prevented by the objection of the Italian Government to the use of flying-boats over its territory, and the deadlock over a complicated situation forced upon the Imperial Airways the loss of a day by a rail link between Paris and Brindisi. The Italian agreement, however, now permits flying-boats to cover the whole of the Mediterranean route, and this decision is important to Australia and New Zealand because it strengthens another link in the chain that will shortly provide an all-air mail route from England to Australia and then to New Zealand. ‘ ‘