LAND VALUATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 203, 10 August 1928, Page 3

LAND VALUATION

PRESENT METHOD CRITICISED. FARMERS’ UNION DISCUSSION, At yesterday’s meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Executive of the Farmers’ Union, held in Hastings, a letter was received from the Wanganui Farmers’ Union forwarding a resolution carried by a meeting of farmers of Patea County, protesting against the present unfair method of assessing tho value of land on the selling value, particularly in view of the unsettled state of market conditions and values. Tho meeting considered the correct basis should be the productive value of land, averaged over a period of, say the preceding seven years. They desired the opinion of the Hawke’s Bay Union.

The chairman said that the whole matter of the valuations of land depended on the man who farmed it. One man could make a living out of any kind of land and another could do nothing with land if he got it for nothing. Mr W. J. Livingston considered tho best basis of valuation was on the unimproved value, which always stood. Mr J. H. Absolom.was of opinion that a good deal depended. on tho valuer, who should be a local man. with a knowledge of local values. He had himself made valuations of land with the value of which he was acquainted, and he had refused to, make valuations in districts with which he was unacquainted. On one occasion he was persuaded to make valuations in such a district, and he had to depend on the assistance of local residents in order to arrive at a fair conclusion. Tho letter was received.