ASSESSMENT COURT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8306, 10 June 1907, Page 7

ASSESSMENT COURT.

The Assessment Court on Saturday afternoon concluded its hearing of objections to the valuation rolls of the Kairanga County Council. The following is the balance of the business transacted: — , J. Bennett objected to the valuation of a section of 22J acres. He said that enough had not been allowed for improvement, and that it should be £132 instead of £58. He wanted the capital value reduced from £580 to £537, and the unimproved value from £522 to £405.

The Court declined to reduce the unimproved value and sustained the other valuations.

Bennett Bros, did not agree with the allowance for the improvements of their section near the one just dealt with, but the valuation was sustained. J. Whittle, a Crown tenant of 40 acres on Cameron's Line, contended that he had not been credited sufficiently for his improvements, such as house, buildings, drains, etc. He put them at £200 instead of £103. The Valuer said he would have to ask for an increase in the capital value if the improvements allowed were increased. The Bench fixed the capital value as first estimated by Mr Gardner at £1144, but increased the lessee's improvements to £200. Te Wani Turanga objected to the value placed on her 25 acre section, but the valuation was sustained. Another native known as Moses wanted a reduction made in the value of an eight acre section on the bank of the river, saying that £10 per acre was too much. The Bench upheld the valuation, saying that it seemed rather too little, if anything. F. Thornby objected t<j the valuation of his 33£ acre section at Fitzherbert. He wanted the capital valuation reduced from £1719 to £1340, the unimproved from £1015 to £765, and the improvements from £714 to £575. He urged that an adjoining section had recently sold at a deal less than his was put at. The Bench sustained the valuation. Te Kereama did not object to the valuation of his improvements, but ] said that the capital value was too high, the land being close to the river j and liable to be washed away. He wanted it put at £14 per acre instead of £22. No alteration was made. Samuel Greer objected to the unimproved value of a 360 acre portion of his Fitzherbert property, and urged that the amount allowed for improvements was ridiculously small. Instead of £4 14s 6d, he wanted the latter put at £10 at least. The Valuer contended that his figures were justifiable, quoting recent sales in support of what he said. The Bench decided to make the improved value £15 per acre, and to add £360 for the improvements. The capital value was allowed to stand at £6341. Mr Greer also objected to other valuations, but the Court did not alter the figures. . T. Kilsby objected to the capital ings at Fitzherbert. After going into valuation placed upon his three holdthe matter very fully, the Bench reduced the figures in each ase by about £2 per acre. The unimproved valuation was also decreased in consequence.

The following is an extract from the essay of a schoolboy: —'' Rain comes down from heaven on the just and unjust, but mostly on the just, because the unjust have borrowed the umbrellas of the just, and have forgotten to return tliem."