RECORD PAYMENT OF RATES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 27, 16 February 1937, Page 5

RECORD PAYMENT OF RATES

95.2 Per Cent. CoUection by Hastings Borough PENALTY NOW ADDED *A splendid response." This was the comment made 'by the Hastings borough rate clerk this morning when reporting to jbhe Herald-Tribune representative upon the rate collection for the now current year. The total amount collected of this year's rate works out at 95.2 per cent., which is believed to b© a record for Hastings. Four o'clock yesterday afternoon w;as the final hour for the payment of the rates without incurring the penalty of 10 per cent., and when the office closed it was found that, of the total rate of £42,370 0/10 struck, £40,349 14/1 had been paid, leaving only £2020 6/9 outstanding. . This compares very favourably indeea with last year, when 92.4 per cent of the rate levied was collected. In ci|dentally, the rate then was lower than this year and was to have yielded to the the Borough Council £36,952 ; the aotual amount collected before the penalty was attached was £34,123. It will be seen that, though a greater amount was levied this ybar, the amount outstanding is less — £2020, compared with £2836 last year. The amount outstanding, in terms of rating, is equivalent to less than than two-fifths of a penny in the £. Already thiis morning a nuxnber of ratepayers, thouglii late, paid their rates with the 10 per cent penalty attached, and it is anticipated that by the end of thjs raonth a substantial por--tion of the now outstanding rate will have been collected.