ELEVENTH-HOUR RUSH

Evening Star, Issue 20054, 20 December 1928, Page 5

ELEVENTH-HOUR RUSH

COLLECTION OF CITY RATES £56,000 RECEIVED YESTERDAY No less than £50,000 passed over the counter at the Town Hall yesterday in City Corporation rates. This amount was handled by two clerks at electri-cally-driven receipting machines, which were kept working at lop pressure. From 9 o’clock in tiic morning till ‘1 o’clock in tho afternoon 0,590 accounts were dealt with, receipts being given at tho average rule of eight a minute. Tho City Treasurer (Mr H. 11. Henderson) stated this morning that of the total amount of £270,000 tm be collected in rates for the current financial year, ending Alarch 51 of next year, about £20,000 was outstanding, but in a large mail which arrived this morning it was anticipated that there would be £IO,OOO in payment of rates., in round figures this left a deficit of £IO,OOO, which will carry the 10 per cent, penalty imposed on rates unpaid after yesterday. The amount outstanding this year is about tho same proportion ot tho total as was outstanding after tho final day last year, when the total amount of rates to be collected was £258,000. The council will, in duo course, take steps to recover the £IO,OOO outstanding, plus the penalty, and it may bo added that it generally manages to secure most of the money.

It is a trait of human nature to leave things till the last moment, for, though the accounts for rates were sent out early in tho year, only £48,870 was collected by tho end of November. The eleventh-hour rush commenced this week, every day of which there has been a crowd at the counter. At tho same time, there was no doubt a purpose in many cases in delaying payment till tho .last possible minute, as money in tiro bank would be carrying interest all the time.