A SERIOUS BLUNDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 103, 2 May 1890, Page 2

A SERIOUS BLUNDER.

A CITY" COUNCIL INQUIRY

ORDERED.

The error in the valuation roll with respecb to the Gas Company's property, to which wo referred last evening, was brought be" fore the City Council last evening by His Worship the Mayor. Ho said an unfortunate blunder had occurred, or rather, ib was a thing that happened— ■whether it was a blunder or nob remained to be seen. Mr Gulliver, the city valuer, in the tirafc year he was in office, altered the valuation of the Gas ,Company from £3,600 to £1,500. This had been discovered by Mr Philips, Town Clerk, on reference being made to that particular valuation. The matter was reported to the speaker and he saw Mr Gulliver. Mr Gulliver explained that in making a cleafa copy of the valuation roll, ha inadvertently copied £3,600 as £1,500. He stated that he intended to reduce the amount to £3,500, but reduced it to £1,500 by an error in transcription. The effect was that the Gas Company had been let off £204 3s 4d in rates for four years. Thia was a very serious matter indeed, and ho moved that ■ the question should be referred to the Finance Committee to consider and report, and, inasmuch as the Finance Committee had one member' short, owing to the absence of Cr. Smith, that Ci*. Atkin be added to sit with them in this matter.

Cr. Goldie thought the whole question of valuation and the way in which the work was done should be referred to the Committee. There was not only Mr Gulliver to blame. Mr Gulliver was to blame primarily, no doubt, but in a case of this kind he believed the Town Clerk was also responsible to the Council. The ldw had very wisely arranged that the Council should be at the mercy of its valuer. When a valuation was made, two parties could object to '■it—the ratepayer might object, and the Council must protect itself. He. had previously complained of the action of the valuer reducing an assessment from #36 to £i 6. It was only during the last few\years that the Wesleyan College in Upper Queen-street had been inserted in the valuers' roll, and he believed that the Grammar School was also wrongly omitted from the valuer's roll.. He thought the whole question should be considered.

Cr. Lennox seconded the motion. He recognised that the Council was responsible in this matter as well as its officers. £800 of the Council's money had been-lost, and although he agreed with it being referred to the Finance Committee he did nob believe they would ever recover the money. Cr. Crowther thought the Collector should have known of the singular reduction of this valuation.

The Mayor said there was a complete change in the staff during this time. He had looked into bhe matter, and he did nob feel able to pub the blame upon the shoulders of anybody outside of the valuer in fchis matter.

It was eventually agreed that the whole matter be referred to the Council in Committee on Thursday evening next ab 7 o'clock. f ' - *