A Question of Rates.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7879, 22 July 1905, Page 2

A Question of Rates.

IJIKCI KSION BY THE HAKBOCH

'I ho question of rating' came up at the New Plymouth Harbour Hoard unvtiTig on Friday. The Chairman explained that during the past year, on a. capita! valu;e of £7,488,2111, iin. l rate 2d in the £ had priOJduiud £ 1 1,(322 Is lud in rutes. The total valuHion 190.V6 was exjieeted to total .C7,r)u2,8:,1). A rait of fi-lOil iu the £ would produce £976 ( J 6s Bd, and a rate of {|<l would bring in £11,723 Is, The H'oaivl required something like £12,000 annually fur interest alone, besides general ex- ! pi-uses. T'hts innd rewnut; for the .itMi* 1901 came to £3209, and apit would be about the same for the uamtiug year. Tlw Hoard did uot uaat to make any leeway, and the position was that the Hoard could .manage with ,a rate of 5-lGd 'his year—a. reduction of 1-1 Gd fron ho last ratc k , but could not possibly manage on less. The Chairman, who isked for an expression of opinion .rofti members, also mentioned that something like £-10,000 had been add.4 to the town valuations for new ••wildings not previously rated. He had asked the valuators to make an effort to get the roll up to date, u.i'd this was the resuit. In discussion Mi* Maxwell did motihiuk there was any necessity 'to lev\ a of »d, oven though the rate oi 5-16 d 'M'pybd vioi lqajve tho -Hoard uiueh margin. He did not think the. Hoard could yet afflord to make a further reduction to id, as that represented a drop »i<n revenue iof £11)00 as compared with receipts from the levy ol' 5-16 d, but next year the , Hoard might consider the /(ftijestion ' again. After further discussion the Chairman gave notice that he would move att next meeting J'or a rate ol , .Vlfid to Iw struck. As only one per ' cent;, of the ratepayers at' present , pay in two instalments, Itho motion will 'also provide for payment ol rates in one instalment in future.