ASSESSMENT COURT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9954, 2 April 1895, Page 4

ASSESSMENT COURT.

Mr Tumbnll, S.M., presided at tha ABießement Court yesterday mornlog to settle objections made sgiiti't H.iwkeV Bay County Council valuations. Me-s.s C. D. Kennedy acd H. Lasocllea, valuers, appeared on bebilf of the Council. Tbe Bon, J, D. Ormond appeared to ob ject to the valuation placed upon 300 ucres of hia property, portion of sub division C, HereCaQDga, The property as a wbolo was valued at £28,000 He said fan principal reason waa tft u the land was subject to floods. No: "ng after thrf last valuation severe lljoda took place, and in December, when the ground was covered in orora, a fliod csrae and burled the wuoie. Some of the land was covered cwo or three feet, the remainder eight i .Ak-.b to a toot. From the time of the fl ioiU till almost April he was unable to do anything with tbe land as it was so damp and boggy that the men could nob get on to It, Meanwhile a orop of rushes, as thick as they could possibly grow, sprang np and rapidly grow. After great jxpense nnd trouble the rushes were mown and the land was ploughed, and tbis last spring he again put la grain and crops. Immediately afterwards a minor flood came and obliterated everything, He sowed again, rather late, acd b*d hardly finished when another minor flood came along and smothered everything. He bad now gob it ao wn la grass, bub as the river wnß gradually filling up he fully expected that his property would he sw«mped again. Replying to Mr Kennedy Mr Ormoad said that 3 per cent was about all be hed go a off the property daring tbe whole tlmo. It had cost' him trom £5 to £6 an acre since last valuation to restore it from floods. At last valuation tbe block was valued ao £32.000 but reduced to £28,000 on assessment. He did not think the 300 acres in question bad any market value ) he doubted if it wonli be BfUeibla at tbe present time. He was aware that large sums of money had been paid far land in the Whakata and Kiveralea properties; he knew aleo that people had been ruined there, and they would be again while snch values existed.— Mr Kennedy said be wonld call Mr Hnsdley to elve evidence as to adjoining properties. —Mr Hoadley said he had had Riverslea, Whakatn, and other estates for sale. Blveralea bad been selling at from £26 to £40 an acre, and Wakatu from £30 to £40. The sections had good road frontages, bnt dd other improvements —To Mr Ormond : He believed less would be taken for a large block.— ln reply to Mr Turnbell Mr Ormond admitted that tbe 200 acres mentioned in the Assessment Court In 1891 as eub^ect to fljod were a pirfc of the property at present ia question. — After Mr Kennedy had exp'ained bow be had arrived at his valuations, Mr Tarntall intimated that he ciu'd not see bfs way to mako any rednetion ia the valuation.

Ciptain Ka<§sell eppesred to oppose the valaation made on 3508 "sores at Heretaanga vulaed at £58,000. He said the valuation was each that id was impossible to make a fair return on the nomiuil capital. Sines the last vduaMon, in December, 1893, 200 acres more at bis property bad been submerged than he had ever known to have been flooded before. In addition to that, various portions of the property bad been covered with a silty deposit in places frotn six to eighteen laches, which -bad Berlonely detracted lrora its valne, sndan enormous quantity of rashes had eprriDg np, and tbe state of the land was Bach that it had been impossible to get at the land to work it. Another gronnd of objeotlon was that sloce last valuation there had been a serious dee ia harbor rates, and that had to go out of tbe produce of the property, and therefore it detracted from the actual valoe of the property. Since the valuation was made too, there bad been 8 fall in tbe prices of produce. Wool for instance had fallen 25 per cent, and other produce all round 50 per 03n6 — In reply to Mr Kennedy Captain Russell said he was breeding horses and cattle, and growing grass and rape and mangolds. He bad tried to make the property pay its way, but had not succeeded for years past. He thought he was working it to employ men and pay taxes. He considered be had a tight to expect to make 6J per cant, but for a long white he had only been making four, and he teared the profit wonld not total that this year. He would not like to give an opinion as to his estimate of the value, as the Government might take advantage of tbe t>ct) and snap up tbe property. — Tbe unimproved value of the land at present was according to the present valuations £10 16) 4d, bnb with the improved valne added it came to £16 17s.— Mr Turnbnll said making a comparison of this land with Mr Ormond's he could not see his way to make a rednitioD. James M'Donald asked for a redaction on his property, 89 acres at Pukahu, valued at £1700. — The objec'or complained that bis land was reudered useless by floods, — A rednetion of £100 was granted. Donald M'Donald made a similar objection in respect of 50 acres in the same locality, valued at £1100. — On tan suggestion of Mr Kennedy the valuation was reduced by £200. William Waite app ied for a reduction in reaped to property at the Western Spit valued at £280.— The valuation was sustained. The objections of Captnln HIM, Father Yardin, K H. Mason, and W, Mason were adjourned till the 29:h inst., ut 2 o'clock. In n number of cases objectora did not appear, and the valuations were upheld in default. A number of objections were settle 1 by arbitration prior to tbe slttinf; of tho Oaurt.