NATIVE RATES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 128, 11 July 1941, Page 5

NATIVE RATES

LOW PERCENTAGE PAID OPOTIKI DIFFICULTY ... | The folloAA'ing letter has been j forwarded to the Minister of Health, Hon. Nordmeycr, by the secretary of the Opotiki Hospital Board: At a recent meeting of my board the matter of Government subsidies, particularly Avith regard uj capital expenditure was brought forAA'ard for discussion and the folloAving resolution Avas. placed on re=« cord : " . . . . that the secretary be instructed to Avrite the Hon. Minister of Health urging that the' subsidy on capital expenditure for hospital districts Avhere there is a large Maori population be increased from £1 for £1 io at least £2 totEl." ' ' 1 In support of my board's request, may I be permitted to quote figures and facts as they appear to mv board. Total rates struck by Opo?. tiki County Council 1940-41, £14* 755. Total rates paid, £10,847. Na-. tive proportion of rates struck. £3329, Amount paid by natives £35fl Upon examination of above fig' ares it is evident that, firstly, the native rnte struck represents only 22.5 per cent of the total and furthermore that nat'n r e collections of rates amounted to 10.5 per cent, only. It is therefore readily realis ed that the pakeha ratepayer pair) 71.1 per cent, of vates struck. Pak eha rate collections! amounted to !>6.7 per cent, of t«tal rates paid whereas native rates collected represents only 3.3 per only. Were the proportion of Maori population 3 per cent of total population the abo% r e results would be op a par but upon investigation it proved that the respecti\'e population are Maoris 54 per cent, and

pakeha 46 per cent. The only conclusion that may be formed therefore, is that 46 per cent pakeha are carrying 96.7 per cent of the burden whereas; 54 per cent Miaori are meeting 3.3 per cent only. My board feels that the position >s acu'e and inequitable and urges you, Sir, to give the matter .vonr urgent attention to overcome the most apparent anomaly of tJie Act as it now stands. It is also realised that owing tc the large number of natives that have departed from this board's district for Overseas Service with His Majesty's. Forces that the num' her, of Native Returned Soldiers seeking treatment in Opotiki Hospital will amount to a fair proportion of the total and provision will no doubt have to be made accordingly. In view of the facts as presented herein, my board respectfully suggests an immediate alteration to the present subsidy of capital expenditure from £1 fot £1 to at least £2 for £1.