ASSESSMENT COURTS.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1415, 24 November 1904, Page 2

ASSESSMENT COURTS.

ItI'.I'HKSKNTATION |'ol{ LOCAL BODIKS. At yesterday's ni.-eling of the Southland County Council a Idler was received from the Minister in charge of the Valuation Department asking (he Council to ev|iress its opinion in regard lo representations made from lime lo lime thai one ol the assessors under the Government Valuation of Land Ad should 1... nominated bv the County Council, or Hoi,.ugh Council, ihe \ ablutions for whose district anat the time undergoing revision. Councillor said they should support the suggestion that local bodies fas representing the pro|h-rty owners) should lime a say ill making such a|ipoiiitnie|its. The Assessment Couils ;ii lu-cent were one sid, tl. being appointed solely by one party to the dispute, and u that i-cspi-cl were neither arbitration courts nor courts in which properly owners had any confidence. At present the Government, being largely interested in tliu valuations, appointtil the courts to decide nil ihe disputes, which was very u.-s,lisfa,i„ry. ||,. had no wish or intention lo relied on Councillor Green I who was one of the Government nsse.-sois). but Hie speaker held he diil not represent the Council cr ihe ratepayers in the Assessment Court, lb- simply lepresentetl the Go\eminent which had nppointiil him. The pro) city owners would never lest satislied until they hail a say in making appointments lo the Assessment Coi.ri. and he thought ihe Council should pa--s n n solution in that oireciioii. which he had pl.-asiire in moving.

C0m,.H1,,. 1t,,!„,(-,,p. ...iiillil.il Councillor McQueen'., contention iliitt lie j .-,,|,1,- Iwul no confidence in the A-sesMllcnt Courts lIS (It pi Wilt constituted. In most cases they H.1.-.I \,ty fairly. If ili.. local Imdie* Upp.iiut.'.l tin. UM-i'ssors tin- effect mi-jut he to reduce tin- valuations too much. It wns <i fair tliiny. however, tliul local bodies should have u say in appointing on.- ii»c-;Mir. There were always some ( <>. Mil- dissatisfe-d v.illi lli.. divisions of tin- Assessment ( 'units, hut as a nil.' liny e,ave s-itis. faction. Councillor l''li-iniiiL' said tlnn- »n« soimiliinu in wluit Councillor McQueen contended. Tin. niosl import Hit lhiii- lo uchic.e nas iinifiirmily <>f valuations. If tli..y fot that il would + 11,,1 mutter to th.' local bodies if the T valuations were lii|>h or low. If 111" local liodics elected a representative llicy would s,v ilml he was n thoroughly iiaitieal and coiii|ictcnl man. Tlie Cov.rninent (proliuldy with the l.esl inleiitions) had not tin- oppirtimity for Know in- if its uppoiiil'vK HITI' rollipi-tl'MI. Councillor Slunrf secmli-d tl'e motion.

<'ciiiii.-ill.il- in reply, said it wu* not necessary to i-luil'L'i' <l»« ( Assissiucnt Courts willi unfuirnsK (allliou-h In- would .-v.'ii f!" ~iut hituih). 11,. had occasion to attend an Asse-sni.-nt Court and saw tlm irrouuds .in which it acted. H«' l"" r< > the Chairman ( >[ ill.. Court state, iifler lii-iirini? several Government valuers from outside who ImrUl u|> the viilmlit ion of 111.- valuer in tin- district af- • fcete.l. tllllt tiI.ISC oolltlollllMl were, dis-inter,.-led witnesses, whereas tin' former was not altogether ilisintrii'-i.il--11- eonlcndc.l that Ihe valuers «'<■'''' appointed to S.TVC till! tJoVl'llUllMlt, mill if tli.-y <li<l not k.-ep the valuations will up. tlii.ir services would i'«'t In- r...|iiir...|. 11,. liu.l also heard it slated that i-1.-ariiii; linsli and >■•'"}' was not an improvement biinuse it liail 11.-11 ~||i.,-tnl ti'ii or lwclvc;.eu'-s previously. Mum' improvements < allied out by fumes were li'-'d not to 1... improvements at all. 11«• was satisfind Unit tli.. pudency wus to incr'.we vulnat : <uis. 'l'lir C.ivcrmnriit openly lioasti'd that under its regime '""'I vulni's had iri "p iiniii.-iisi'ly. *li-» was it (hat iti.-K-iiscl ll'i« valuations and who decided as to th.-ir fan lies-''.' The valni'i-s appointi'd and the Coiu'is set up l.v (In. Govcrnim-it. Tin' I ''■■'• pi,, objc ii-d to tin- system until <!<•>' were sick and tired of .(bj.rting. 'H.ev knew it wus no us,, going t<> <'<" : >'t Them was a lot of dissutisiai-ti"" , tliroii(.h,.iit New Zealand with the valuations -(Councillor Green: n'.nti I they ur.-etit tlm valuations as a selling ' besis?).--Councillor said funnels spent a lot of -noiiey .1, em- | bcllishb.fv their ni-opei-li ~. and lu.vin.' ■» jfcil their standing* and building* to suit tliein-elves. Nat irnliv 'heir lioid iiiys w.i. world more to fic-ei limn 10 any.. !.-e. Whit Hi.- speaker mijncted to in the present system wag