Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26621, 18 November 1947, Page 3

IPS' it lt;< l: is V.. I mi •- m Iheste adjoining Dwellings on the same area of land, are situated in Wharfe street. Under Unimproved Value they would BOTH PAY THE SAME RATES. Do you think this fair? VOTE AGAINST UNIMPROVED VALUE! MMS To the Ratepayers: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN; ON WEDNESDAY NEXT, the 19th November, you will be asked to vote on a change of Rating Systems. We ask you to very seriously think before you vote over this important matter, as it vitally concerns you and the town. Under whatever system is to be adopted, the same total amount of rates will have to be collected. Our present system has stood us in good stead over 75 years, and during all that time less than one per cent, of Ratepayers have objected to their annual assessments. We freely admit our present system has its shortcomings, but in our opinion a change over would produce more shortcomings and inflict undue hardship on those Ratepayers, least able to bear it. Ratepayers will not know what their new Government Unimproved valuation will be until March next, 1948 —why then do the advocates of Unimproved Value rush this issue? We think the Poll should be delayed until next year, when the Ratepayers could give a more intelligent vote, when they know what their new valuation will be. Much „has and written on vacant sections bearing their fair share of rates—as many returned men and citizens ,at the-present find costs too high to build, surely this alone is a valid reason for leaving the present rating system 'as it is—lt is almost impossible to build to-day at a reasonable cost. A five-roomed house will cost from £IBOO to £2400. “ OUR PRESENT RATING SYSTEM HAS BUILT OAMARU. IT IS FAIR TO . YOU, AND JUST FOR ALL. WHY TEAR IT DOWN FOR AN EXPERIMENT.” The following opinions are expressed by His Worship the Mayor, Councillors and two ex-Mayors, all of whom have studied Rating Systems especially as it applies to Oamaru, and strongly urge you to retain our present rating - system:— HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR, MR J. KIRKNESS SAYS; "If all the arguments for a change in the rating system had convinced me that Oamaru would benefit thereby, I would support it—l have not been convinced. MR J. MEIKLE, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: "Our present system has stood us in good stead and I see no reason to change it.” MR A. V. BAIN, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: "I advise ratepayers to keep their present rating system. It is fairer than rating on Unimproved Value." MR. H. STEVENS, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: "It will inflict undue hardship on those ratepayers least able to bear it.” MR. A. WILSON, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: "Thirty years ago the Unimproved System may have been worthy of consideration, but not to-day. It would only be shifting the burden from one to another.” MR. E. GLEN, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: "Unimproved system is generally brought in where there are too many vacant sections, and that is not the case in Oamaru. Therefore, lam in favour of leaving the rating system as it is. MR. E. HODGE, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: “Leave well alone.” - DR. E. S. STUBBS, COUNCILLOR. SAID at his North End meeting, that he thought it would be better to leave the present rating system as it is. MR. D. V. G. SMITH, COUNCILLOR, SAYS: "Ability to pay is a cardinal feature of_ annual values for rating purposes, and for this reason, I believe in that the present rating system is fair to all.” MR. L. J. K. FAMILTON, EX-MAYOR, SAYS: "As the same amount of rates have to be collected under any system, it is only shifting the rate burden from one section to another.” MR. J. M. FORRESTER, EX-MAYOR, SAYS: “That he would advise ratepayers, to leave the present rating system as it is.” VOTE AGAINST RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUE

ELECTION NOTICES Here Is What the Rates Will Be UNDER UNIMPROVED VALUE RATING The Borough Council Rate Demand This Year is £42,465 Based on Sales Prices of Empty Sections during the past Four Years, we calculate that the rates published below will bring in under unimproved value a slightly Larger amount. If the Government Valuation, the field work of which has just been completed, reaches “about £1,000,000," as stated publicly by Mr L. J. K. Familton, then reduce the under-mentioned estimates by.. 15 per cent., or 3s in the £. The Residential areas will pay less, but the business or inner area, with its very high site values, and the nearly 400 empty sections, will bring in many thousands of pounds more. 1-acre. Ouse street—-1-6-acre. ■ 4-acre. £2O to £lB I £l2/10/£ll/10/- ' £l2/10/£ll/10/- to £lO £l4 to £l2 - £B/10/£B/10/- to £9/10/£8 to £7/10/£lO £8 to £9 £7/10/£lO £8 to £9 £9/10/£7 to £7/10/£7 to £7/10/£6/10/- to £7 £6 to £7 £7/10/£7 to £7/10/£6 to £7/10/£6 to £6/10/£6/10/- to £5 Exe street to Orwell street Thames Highway— Orana Park to Etterick street .. Etterick street to boundary .. Till street— Itchen street ,to Arun street .. .. Arun street to boundary .. .. Torridge StreetRailway to Thames street £B/10/- to £ll/10/Thames street to Reed street £l4 to £l2/10/Towey street £l2/10/- to £l3/10/Trent StreetRailway to Thames street £8 to £ll/10/Thames street to Reed street .. £l3 to £l2 Tweed street .. .. .. £lO to £l2 Tyne street above Bees £lO to £8 (Jsk streetRailway to Thames street Thames street to Reed street .. .. (Jre street— Itchen street to Arun Upper Ure street .. Weaver street ; Witham street £8 Wansbeck street— Wharfe street to Hull street •• • • • • • Hull street to Junction Hotel .. ' .. Junction Hotel to Wye street .. .. .. Wye street .... .. . • Wharfe street, Itchen street to Wansbeck streetWest side East side .. . • • • Wansbedk street to Arun street .. .. Arun street to boundary .. .. . CHECK THIS YEAR’S RATE DEMAND WITH THESE FIGURES AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY A WELL-KNOWN LAND AGENT CANNOT REMEMBER A QUARTER-ACRE SECTION BEING SOLD ON THE SOUTH HILL AT A HIGHER PRICE THAN £575. THIS WAS A “ FREAK ” PRICE. GOVERNMENT VALUATIONS WILL BE BASED ON 1912 LAND SALES PRICES r tree an AVERAGE OF 20 PER CENT., SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT ANY QUARTER-ACRE SECTION ON ' THE SOUTH HILL WILL PAY MORE THAN £22 10s. VOTE FOR UNIMPROVED VALUE RATING PUT OAMARU IN THE LINE OF PROGRESS AT THE LAST CENSUS IT WAS PROVED THAT OAMARU’S POPULATION WAS PRACTICALLY STATIONARY These figures are announced with the authority of the Executive oi the Oamaru Rating on Unimproved Value Association. D. H. Stewart (Chairman). D. S. Bam (Secretary). T. R. Beatty, D. Larnach, W. E. Robertson. MAYORAL ELECTION. For SOUND and PRUDENT ' ADMINISTRATION lacked by' a record of public service oi ver 16 years’ experience as a Councillor lus Chairmanship of many other organiations in Oamaru— . VOTE A. R. TAIT, DEPUTY MAYOR for PEfct two terms.