THE RATEPAYERS' BURDENS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1788, 28 June 1913, Page 4

THE RATEPAYERS' BURDENS.

The City Council at its meeting lust night very properly rejected n motion by Councillor Fitzgerald in favour of an increase of 1-lOth of a penny in the rates. It appears that the estimated expenditure in its original form exceeded the estimated receipts by £8353, but it was decided to reduce the expenditure by £0008. This saving, taken in conjunction with an additional sum of £2352 from rates arising out of tlio new valuation of the suburbs, gives an estimated surplus of £67. Councillor Fitzgerald defended his motion on tho ground that the additional burden on tho ratepayer would enable what ho termed "urgent necessary works" to bo undertaken. The urgency or necessity of a work is in most cases a matter of opinion, depending on a variety of circumstances; but it is quite certain, and not merely a matter of opinion, that at the recent election of tho Mayor and councillors, the electors gave no mandate for works which would involvo any increase in rates. Most of the candidates then expressed the opinion that tho present was not a favourable time for launching _ out into new municipal undertakings, and thus imposing fresh burdens on the people, the general feeling being that with ordinary care and economy the affairs of the city could be efficiently managed without any material increase of expenditure, and that all really necessary works 1 could be carried out without adding to the rates. This is the view that the majority of the Council took last night, Councillor Wright laying emphasis on tho undeniable fact that increased rates mean increased rents, and therefore press more heavily on poor people. Councillor Fitzgerald's motion, which was supported by Councillors Hindmarsh and Fletcher, was decisively defeated by 12 votes to 3.