RAETIHI MOTOR CAMP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 169, 20 July 1939, Page 10

RAETIHI MOTOR CAMP

POSITION Ol HERMAN I• N I C AMPERS (Ov. n Cot ic.-pundent>. RAETIHI, July 19. At th • June meeting of the Raetihi ; Domain Board the position of camp--1 ers wiiu were staying in the mol i campsite more or less perman- 1 | cntly was considered. Members had • jin mind the case of one camper, who • was alleged to have been at the camp ! for many months and was also a ■ ; trade-man competing with other • tradespeople in Raetihi and thereby avoiding charges in the nature of rem and interest. It was thought that such residence, for which only 7s 6d per ; I week had been chargeable, might re- ! act unfairly to the other local tradesImen who were subject to larger overhead expenses particularly where the ■tradesmen were ratepayers and had : j assisted in providing and maintaining i the camp site. j To remedy the matter the board dei cided to increase the comping fee to ■ 17s 6d per week, after the first two , weeks of residence. Cr. Shout gave notice to move iit the next meeting that this decision of Sie , I board he rescinded. 1 In speaking to hi.s motion at the I July meeting, Cr. Shout said that the j increase from 7s 6d to 17s 6d was too ! great and would adversely affect Ihe I revenue from the camp site. The ; speaker had obtained information on ■ j the subject from other centres. In ( j Wanganui, New Plymouth, and HastI ings, the charge was 10s per week, for , ias long as a camper liked to stay, in | Napier and Palmerston North the fee : was 7s 6d per week. The highest i charge was 12s 6d al Rotorua. Cr. ’shout added that a more or less permanent resident brought with him some definite advantages. He amount- •< d more or less to a caretaker and it . was significant that vandalism at the [ramp had ceased since this camper had ’ been there. Cr. Shout concluded by I saying that his main reason for the : I motion hinged on the question of I keeping up the revenue. t The matter was debated at some • I length by members of the board, but I Cr. Snout s motion was finally carried . ! unanimously. The board then fixed the [requisite fee at 10s per week. Cr. Ciochetto raised the related ■question of hawkers and other persons i using t he camp site as a depot from [which to sell goods or services in the I town in competition with bona tide business men who provided and main.tained the ramp. His Worship the Mayor (Dr. W. J- ‘ Feltham) suggested 'hat this aspect I should br submitted to th p Raetihi Retailers' Association for its opinion s: to "hat remedial action was advis-| ■able. A decision was made according!.' -