THE CITY’S COAT AND CLOTH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 166, 19 July 1946, Page 4

THE CITY’S COAT AND CLOTH

THE Wanganui City Council has decided that it will cut its coat 1 according to its cloth by reducing works and services. The public will probably feel the inconvenience arising out ol this decision, but if that same inconvenience spurs the ratepayers mi to take a greater interest in the city's management, sweet will be the uses of adversity. For too long the public has been indifferent. to municipal business. When a protest has been needed it has not been forthcoming; it has been so much more comfortable to let matters slide. Money, however, may only be spent, once. .11. cannot lie repossessed by the purchaser, and if costly project:; have , absorbed Wanganui’s financial strength to no equivalent gain then that money cannot now be spent again. One source of indifference of the public lias been the loading of the rate burden upon the central blocks of the city. This appeared to be good business for the suburban ratepayer, lie escaped payment; the eentrally-situated property-owner carried the burden for him. Why should the num who did not pay much worry about, the city’s exchequer? Now the city has filled up, more buildings are required as shops, offices and factories. There is none so unwise as io risk his savings m building new commercial structures because the rate-burden now amounts to an appropriation of capital to the City Council. Building commercial structures in Wanganui to-day is not good business because of this rale burden. What is Ihc result? The further expansion ol' employment within the city is going to suffer a curtailment. The young i people will be compelled to seek careers elsewhere, and WangaI nui will not flourish as il should. This is Hie price of indifference. A revaluation of Ihe city will boundirtaken in the near future and it is probable that the rale burden will then be more evenly spread out over the city. Il some relief is I hereby effected to the commercial and near commercial blocks, then a degree of confidence in city properly values may return. Il is to be hoped that it will do so.

It is useless to blame the City Council for the present situation. It is not to blame. The public is to blame—and that means every citizen who lives in Wanganui.