EXCESSIVE VALUATIONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13791, 21 July 1910, Page 8

EXCESSIVE VALUA TIONS.

PROTEST BY THE FARMERS' UNION.

At yesterday's meeting of tho North Canterbury Executive of the Farmers' Union, Mr A. Paterson said he desired to enter an emphatic protest against the excessive valuations of the Valuation Department. He mentioned his own property in tho Lincoln Road Board district as an instance. It had been a-greed, he said, between himself and tho Government valuer to assess the value of the land at £25 per acre, yet a feu- days later, when he received his notice, he was astonished to tiud that his land had been valued at £30. Another resident had agreed with the valuer that his property was -worth £37 ]os, and yet the Denartment had valued it at £47 10s. Every farmer in the district had been surprised and anuoyed to ascertain that his land had been assessed at from £5 to £10 more than the agreed value. He had received his notice on the Friday, and as tho timo for lodging objections closed on the following day, he did Jiot have time to lodge a protest. In another instance the notice had been served on the Monday, when tho time for objections had actually dosed the Saturday nreviouslv. The president (Mr 0. F. Clothier) said it was outrageous that such a system prevailed. He knew of a caso in which a defeated southern candidate for Parliamentary honours had been appointed a land vainer in Canterbury. The Southland people were as much dissatisfied with the valuers appointed from Canterbury as Canterbury was with the southern appointees. In some instances tho valuer had not beon within five miles of the property he ■was supposed to value

■Other speakers strongly protested against the methods adopted l>y the Department, and it was decided to recommend the local union of the district in -wj«ioh Mr Paterson resided to take, tho, grievance u,p and petition Parliament' for redress.