BURDEN OF RATES

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20887, 19 August 1939, Page 5

BURDEN OF RATES

HOSPITALS IN NORTH STATE ASSISTANCE SOUGHT (Special to Times) KAIKOHE, Friday A conference of hospital boards, county councils and town boards in North Auckland was held at Hangiahua to-day to consider further steps to be taken to bring relief to tlrn rating burden placed on northern ratepayers owinir to the Maori and hospital problems. Representatives were present irom the Bay of Islands. Hnkianga. Whangaroa and Mangonui hospital boards and county council and the Kaikohe and Kaitaia Town Boards. Mr C. \V. Boswell, M.P. lor Bay of Islands,

was also present. The following resolutions were carried unanimously:— “This conference of the four northern hospital boards and county councils’ delegates is of the opinion that in view of the rapidly increasing burden of hospital charges upon the ratepaying section of the community being further accentuated by the large proportion of Maoris in our four counties, we make representations to the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. Fraser. | I urging that additional assistance be : I granted until such time as the Govern- | ; rnent finance hospitals from the Social j i Security Fund or other source, so that • | | the. unfairness of the rating system.! , ! which is now penalising all occupiers I Ij of land, may be entirely eliminated. j Grave Repercussions ! “That it is the opaiion of this con- \ | ferenco that the proposed drastic in- ■ : creases in hospital levies will result in ! j the contributory bodies being unable j ■ • to finance the proposals without crave j ’ j repercussions to themselves, brought j

about by the inability of the ratepayers to meet the increases in rates on lliei r lands, ami singly urge* the Government to adopt the principle of all persons contributing equitably in proportion to earnings and income through the social security tax for hospital purposes.”