NEW ZEALAND REVALUED.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 100, 28 April 1921, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND REVALUED.

OFFICIALS' CONSERVATIVE BASIS. (By Telegraph.— .Special to •Star. - ) WELLINGTON , , this <iay. The Valuation Department, which expects to complete the valuation of 22 counties by the end of the year, will by that time have revalued the whole of New Zealand except seven counties since the war. In the latter there is a large area of Crown leasehold land, the value of which has not appreciated to any extent; in fact, in some places it is probably lower now than when the last valuation wan made. Some people are under the impression that the recent fall in meat and wool prices will be reflected in valuations. That might have been so had the Department adopted the practice of putting valuations up to the level owners themselves were asking for land. This, however, was never done, and ample margin was allowed for difference in value due to disturbed economic conditions. It has been said on occasion that revaluation i» being speeded up so that the Government may have added value for taxation purposes. This assertion is definitely contradicted by the Valuation Department. Objections to the revaluation which has reeontlv been made will be heard and determined by a new Assessment Court constituted under the Valuation of Land Amendment Act 1920, which came into operation on the Ist of April, 1921. The Assessment Court will comprise a president (who is to be a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court), appointed for five years, an assessor appointed by the Government for each land district (to hold office for two years), and an assessor appointed by the local authority concerned, as may be required. The main purpose in reconstituting the Court in this wav is to obtain relative uniformity of values and consistency of decisions!, which it was almost impossible to obtain under the» old system of separate assessment courts presided over by different magistrates: