REVALUATION OF THE BOROUGH OF ST. RILDA.

Evening Star, Issue 16663, 20 February 1918, Page 6

REVALUATION OF THE BOROUGH OF ST. RILDA.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l have learned with considerable surprise that the valuation of the Forhurv Park Trotting Club's property for rating purposes lias been reduced from £11.730 > to £6.400—a reduction of £5,335. If this property were cut up into building allotments of an eighth of an acre each it would produce 216 sections, after allowing for roads and footpaths. On this basis the valuation placed on this property by the Government Valuator works out at £25 per section, whereas the working man and widow, who have their sons at tht» front, and who own sections just over the fence from the rececourse, are valued up to £IBO for rating purposes. Several ratepayers own (factions adjoining each other, which are identical in every respect, and they have informed me that the valuations put on their sections by the Government Valuer are quite at variance, and when they asked for an explanation got no satisfaction. Tt appears to me that, after inspecting the new valuations, the reduction to the Racing Club has been made up to. the. borough of St. Kilda by increasing the rates of the working man a.nd widow. Trusting that an abler pen than mine will take this matter up, and convene a meeting of ratepayers to protest against this extraordinary treatment.—l am, etc., Ratepayer. February 20.