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Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 141, 17 June 1913, Page 8

[to the editor.]

Sir.—l much regret th-at a .statement made by me at last night's meeting .should have been responsible for the regrettable incident that occurred; but I am quite at a loss to understand why it should have raised Councillor Carr's ire in the manner that it did. In justice to the small ratepayers, I felt it my duty to explain why the general rate of the

borough was greater than it should' be, and instanced the absurd valuations placed upon some of the properties' in the inner' area,. In this particular I mentioned that Councillor Carr was paying rates on part of his property fronting Market Street which only had a valuation of £12 10s per foot placed upon it, whereas it was worth at least £40 per foot. .Mr Carr immediately called me a liar, with the addition of abuse which I do not care to repeat, and what then occurred was nessed by everyone in the hall. Now, Sir I am- not given, to making statements that are false, so this morning I took the trouble to analyse again the borough valuation rolls at the Town Clerk's office, and gleaned the following: -The highest timmprowi value of a property in Market Stieet (naturally in the centre of the tovyn) iis set douii at.£6o per foot ;the unim--1 proved valuation of the estate ot the I late T. Smale's property in Altreci Street is shown at £25 per foot; vet 150 feet of Councillor Carr w property fronting Market Street has ! an unimproved valuation placed upon it of £1875, which works out at fU ' loTmr foot. This is a hafd fact ! which I defy Councillor Carr to d* prove, and I leave it for the ratepayers to judge whether-I was i iuctified in not exposing such a« ' anomaly which exists m the present valuations of the .inner area. My reason for supporting the water ami drainage scheme is because 1 am already possessed of all those advantages at my residence and I reaas-u----the inestimable benefit they are to a horns. Because I was able to afford £ private water and drainage service, and therefore will not require to connect with the borough system, I do not wish to deprive the smaller ratepayers of similar advantages, but will cheerfully pay the extra rate that will be incurred through the installation of tho system^ ._ GIRLING .