"ONLY A GUESSER,"

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 210, 4 September 1919, Page 7

"ONLY A GUESSER,"

LAND BOARD'S DIFICULTV. AN UNDESIRABLE PRACTICE. There is a feeling in some quarters that parents are taking an undue advantage of the desire of the Government to settle returned 3oldiers by unloading their land on to the sons per the medium of the various land boards. This practice was referred to by Mr. R. P. Greville, Commissioner, at the meeting of the -North Auckland Land Board this morning. The practice, he said, of parents and relations unloading their property on their childen at the expense of the State was steadily growing. He did not think this system should be encouraged, as it really meant that the State was helping the father as well as the son. " The father gets the money," he said, " and the son the property. I think it is something that was never anticipated- when the Act was passed." 9

One of the members expressed the opinion that some of the values submitted were excessive.

Mr. Greville pointed out that the Board did not necessarily accept these valuations. "My opinion is," he continued, " that the average man who set» himself up as a valuer is only a guesser; The greatest difficulty the Board has to contend with is that of getting competent and reliable valuers."