CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 103, 3 May 1922, Page 9

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. H.W.—ln such- a case there is no restriction. COUNTY VALUATIONS. (To tbe F.ilHoiO Sir.—Your Ica'ler on the question of valuations for country lands is a timely one, and will no doubt be made use ot at the coming Auckland farmers' conference next month. Your results were based on the population (male and female) lor 1920 amountins to 484.-204, of which population 271,407 were North Jsland population. The census returns 19:21 shews males of the county populations 271.412, so that the males of the whole Dominion is about the same as the North Island male and female population. But to obtain a greater degree of accuracy, will it not be more satisfactory to take the number of assessments on the Valuation Roll, which shews 216.334 for the Dominion as actual land owners paying a land tax on the capital values of land and improvements. The 216,334 persons on a valuation (county) of €307.402,664 gives a value , of £1421 per head. North Island with ! J C 192,790.30 ft gives £1532 per head; South Island with 90.081 assessments on a s ross value of € 114.702.::.V> gives £1265 per head, a difference of £2G7 per head more on the North Island assessments than in the South. The total increased values for 1918-1020 of £43,3UV 297 for the whole Dominion county increases, averages £200 per head, and divided up in increased population and increased values it shews North Island £201 per head and Smith Island £ 109, or a difference of £130 10/ per head increase in North Island per year for two years, 1918-1920, against £54 10/ per head in the South for a corresponding period. But what wrll interest the Auckland district farmers who pay assessments on their land valuations is as follows: — Auckland assessments are 73.122. of about one-third of the total for the Dominion, and on a jrross valuation ot £55.709,157 it means £1171 per head as the value of the land held by farmers in the Auckland district. Then the €18,----355,010 of increased values in tho Auckland district shews £250 per head, or an increase of £ 125 per head for two years —a pretty stiff increase, as the values of products stand to-day. Why there has not been much notice of these increases iin the past is, no doubt, owing to the ifact that the land tax is not a large item and farmers would not notice the increases much, hut where it strikes home is the fact that all local taxation is based on the Government valuations. What proepect is there for much outside settlement while an average valuation on improved lands, estimated at 18,000,000 acres, stands so high? Our exports would shew about C 2 per acre on jthe eighteen million acres. Two pounds per acre on a lOfl-acre farm, with cost jof production and the "monkey" on the farmer's back, would not leave a margin. 1 am, etc., DEFLATOR.