WELCOME REDUCTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 14, 21 August 1946, Page 5

WELCOME REDUCTION

HOSPITAL RATE STABILISED DISTRICT SAVING £6,000 Whatever the criticism of the Budget, the farmers of this district will have every reason to feel grateful for the measure which stabilises the Hospital Rate at 0.5 d in the £. This decision by the Government goes even further than the recommendation of the Select Parliamentary Committee on the matter, which suggested that the figure should not exceed Q.7d. The fact that there has not been more said on this point in the daily press by way of gratification lends colour to the oft repeated assertion that the burden in other counties and boroughs throughout the Dominion is not severe by comparison with ours. This is further borne out by the refusal of the Counties to combine in some type of direct action to force the issue. Further it explains why Mongonui was left to wage a lone battle on its own for two years.

Briefly the position in the Whakatane district under the pegging of the rate will mean almost exactly halving both the Borough and County rate of last year. The last assessment was County £II,OOO, Borough £2,479. With the rate fixed at .5d in the £ next year the respective levies will be approximately County £5,000, and Borough £1,200.