The Wanganui Chronicle. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1936. WANGANUI RATES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 107, 7 May 1936, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1936. WANGANUI RATES

T-HE annual report of the town clerk, Mr. G. Mttreh, on tin; finances of Wanganui is very interesting reading. The gross indebtedness of the city in the year 1928-29 amounted Io (1,127,338 and in the year 1935-36 it fell to 1929,905. This is a reduction of no less a sum than £197,433. When the net indebtedness of the city is considered, however, an even greater improvement is registered: namely, a reduction from £948.444 in ,1928-29 1o £758,181 in 1935-36, making a reduction ol: £199,263 in the net indebtedness of the city. Expressed in percentages, it may be said that the gross indebtedness of the city has fallen I'roni 100 in the year 1928-29 to 82 last year, while the net indebtedness has fallen to 79 per eent. in the same period. The problem which confronts Wanganui is how to induce people to come and live here. The kernel of that problem is to provide employment for them. How can new industries be expected to select Wanganui as the site for factories when the rate burden is a high one? The inducements which can be offered by A\ anganui as a distributing centre and as a convenient place for the delivery of bulk' raw materials, are considerable, and these inducements can be heightened by bringing about a reduction in the rates in Wanganui. The debt reduction which has been registered in the years of the depression will go on at an accentuated pace if the City Council can contrive to continue without either increasing loan commitments or enlarging the rate of the annual levy. The City of Wanganui is a difficult eity to administer because it is so widespread. What is wanted is a filling in of the gaps so tjiat the public utilities, such as roads, water mains, sewers, electric and gas lighting and power, shall carry their full load for the area covered. The City Council lias several parcels of land which could be utilised for factory sites, and it might be just as well to advise prospective occupiers that the City Council would be willing to treat very generously with those who would come here and establish industries. This would provid l * the needed user of the public utilities and add to the volume of employment offering within the city. Nothing more would be required to be done if such a programme could be accomplished. People would soon demand houses, and if security of property is not disturbed there would appear investors willing to use their money in supplying houses for renting or who would lend money on mortgage to home builders.