THE MUNICIPAL MILCH COW.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 280, 24 November 1915, Page 8

THE MUNICIPAL MILCH COW.

BATES AND VALUATIONS. HOW TO RAISE FUNDS. WITH THE HELP OF A VALUER. The Valuer-General has informed the Devonport Borough Council that, owing to the severe strain on the Dominion's finances at the present time, no revaluations will be made this year except in the specially urgent cases. When the letter to this effect was received at last night's meeting of the Council, Mr, John Henderson expressed the hope that the valuation would be carried out before March 31 next, and that the Valuer-General be advised to this effect. Mr. Nixon seconded this motion. He said that there was a good deal of new property to be valued. He noticed that objections to valuation mostly came from property owners. Mr." Walker moved that the letter from the Valuer-General -be received. Mr. McCallum, in seconding the motion, said that though some properties in the borough might be undervalued there were a very great many which were over-valued, and would not come up to the valuation figure for a good many years to conic. This was a time of stress, and it was not fair to get at the ratepayers by raising the valuation of their property. Mr. Wright, in siding with the amendment, pointed out that the valuation was just as likely to be reduced as to be increased. He thought it ■well to leave things as they were in the meantime. Mr. Howitt and Mr. Smith supported this view, the latter expressing the opinion that the borough was not in such a good position to-day as it was five years ago. Mr. Nixon criticised the amendment severely, but the full force of his argument was blocked by his colleague, Mr. McCallum, rising to a point of order, and surprising the chairman into ruling that Mr. Nixon was not entitled to speak to the amendment. Mr. Walker having warmly condemned valuation as merely a method of "bleeding the ratepayers," the amendment was put and carried by five votes to three, those in favour of it being Messrs. Walker. Wright, McCaHum, Howitt. and Smith, and those against it Messrs. Henderson, Nixon, and Stone.