The Star.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9480, 7 December 1907, Page 4

The Star.

Delivered eyery evening dj 6 o'olook in Hawaii Man&U, Normanby, Okaiawa, Elthntn, Ming*loki, Kapongft, Awatuna, Opunake, Otaceho, ManuUm, Alton, HuriejTifle, P«te», «ncl Waverley.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1907.

LAND VALUATIONS.

Whatever may be thei financial problems of local government in this district no complaint can be mad© by tie local bodies that th© bases of local taxation are not being broadened. Everyone knows in a general way that the valuations have been raised enQTmously^ but it isi doubtful whether everyone quit© appreciates what the figures disclos©. When th© territory now included in Eltham County was cut off from Hawera County it was recognised that a very valuable strip of country was being withdrawn frci»i Hawera County control, and that the gross revenue would b© materially affected. But the Valua-tion Depart- | ment has kindly seen to that, and -i comparison of the valuations new and , old discloses, that at the lat© revision lot values there was added to the. i Hawera County assessment roll by increased valuation more than was taken 1 from it by Act of Parliament effecting i a division. The exact figures disclose the following position : — Assessed value of Hawera County immediately prior to subdivision ... ...£2,816,948 I Assessed value of Hawera 1 County this year 3,121,758 So that despite a reduction ot v area approximately by 50 per cent, Hawera County's valuation is actually <£214-.-000 more than it was. prior to the subdivision If the figures for tlie area included in Hawera County and Eltham are taken, the effect of the new valuation is shown to be as follows :—: — Old valuation of ihe whole area - ...£2,816,948 Haw<ra Cty. .. £3,1?1,758 litham Cty. .. 1,489,119

4,610,877

Increase £1,793,929 We have given the figures for the gross values of land aad improvements, and there may b& deductions to be made in respect of Crown and Native Lands, but these cannot materially affect any of the proportions. That despite the loss of Eltham territory this county should have a valuation £200,000 in excess of what it previously had is at least a very remarkable illustration of th© advance of land values, and the increased value, let us add, has accrued within about three or four years. Of course local taxation can be adjusted to meet the changed condition^. That is to say, if the county needs but a certain sum it can reduce th 1 © rate' of taxation to meet the case of a higher valuation. But the General Government Land Tax never varies. It always, remains at the Id in the £ for ordinary tax. And the new valuations meen that th© Government must be drawing a largely increased revenue from this district It is probable, too, that the) increased valuations bring a great many more men with comparatively small a.reas of land under the graduated scale of taxation. We wonder if there* isi another rural district in the coltny, projjortaonately to its area, which pays so much taxation as -the County of Hawera-. It is quite clear that to he able to make proper us© of the highly valuable land farmers^ must ha,ve good roads and read-/ facilities for getting their produce to market. Road up-keep is> very expensive owing to th© character of the traffic and the nature of th© material J available for road-making, but tfce difficulty has to be met and overcome. It cannot be evaded. If the scheme for putting the heavy traffic on rails isi not approved, then the. trouble, -It would appear, must pr&sent itself year after year in an accentuated form.'