LAND VALUATION

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 249, 17 July 1937, Page 13

LAND VALUATION

Alterations in Basis Desired

That the value of manure applied to increase the carrying capacity of land and the value of subdivisions!] fencing should be capitalised and added to the improvements, not to the unimproved value, in valuing land for rating and land tax purposes, was a remit submitted to the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at Wellington .vest erday. Mr. .1. Livingstone (South Hawke’s Bay) said that surely the farmer should not be rated and taxed on goodwill created by hitnself. Mr. U. O. Mellsop (Auckland) said that to talk of capitalising the value 'of manure was ridiculous. If a farmer used £5O worth of manure, lie would get back £lOO in capital value, but, if he then ceased manuring, practically the whole of this value would disappear. On his suggestion the remit was altered to refer to “the increase in the value of the land due to the use of manures” instead of to the actual value of manures used. The reference to sub-divisional fences was deleted. Mr. It. H. Feisst (Cambridge) said he considered that the union should strive to secure a more uniform system of valution. The remit was adopted. Mr. It. O. Montgomerie (Wanganui) suggested that the Government should be urged to reconsider the whole system of land valuation, which, it was apparent, was doing injustice. “Sooner or later we will have to take into consideration the replacement of the annual removal of fertility from the soil,” he said. “Distinction should be made between the man who is replacing that fertility and the man who is not.” No action was taken in this matter.