REVALUING THE CITY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 241, 6 July 1920, Page 5

REVALUING THE CITY

A TIMELY RECOMMENDATION.

At yesterday's meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce the matter of the revaluation of\ the city was touched upon, and the following report was submitted to.the council:-

"In 1915 a commission consisting " of Messrs. T. F. Martin (Wellington), Ewcn A. CRinpbell (Wanganui), and J. G. Rutherford (Auckland), was set up to inquire into certain matters regarding valuation of land. Their report is contained in Parliaments Paper 8.-17b of 1915 (Valuation of Land Commission). Among the recommendations of the commission was tho following regarding the constitution of the A.ssessinent Court:— 'That the Assessment Court should consist of a permanent president for : the whole Dominion, who shall boa member of the legal profession, and of 'an assessor appointed by the Government, either for the whole Dominion or for each provincial district, and an assessor appointed by tho ratepayers of the local governing district the roll of which has been revised, such last-mentioned appointment to be mado at a meeting of the ratepayers convened by tho Mayor or chairman of the district. In tho event of the ratepayers failing to appoint the assessor, the appointment to fall to the local authority. We further recommend that the president should bo n person other than a Stipendiary' Magistrate exercising civil or criminal jurisdiction.' "Tho Assessment Court aa at present constituted consists of a local Magistrate, as president, a member appointed by tho Government, and a member appointed by the local authority of tho district whose roll has been revised. The' Commissioners state: 'Tho evidence convinces us that property owners in general hold the view that the members appointed by the Government and the local authority respectively will b© subconsciously influenced in the direction of sustaining tho valuations made by tho Valuation Department, since it appears to bo the opinion of property owners that it is to the interest of both the Governnuxit and the local 'authority to keep values high for tho purpose of levying the land tax in the ono case and the local rates in tho other.' "It is reported that thcro is to be a revaluation of Wellington city, and it is suggested that tho clinmbor should mako representations to tho Government urging that at this session of Parliament • tho Valuation of Land Act bo amended on tho lines of tho recommendation of the. commission." The council decided that tho Minister be approached with a request that legislation bo brought down thte session, embodying tho above recommendation.