HIGH VALUATIONS BEING MAINTAINED FOR REVENUE ONLY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6670, 25 July 1928, Page 8

HIGH VALUATIONS BEING MAINTAINED FOR REVENUE ONLY

Different Matter When State Loan is Sought MR NASH URGES GENERAL REVALUATIONS Times Special. From Our Parliamentary Eeporter. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The opinion that high land valuations were being maintained ior revenue purposes and that the revaluation of the Counties should be put in hand was expressed by Mr. J. A. Nash (Palmerston North) in the House of Representatives today when the statement of revenue and expenditure Of the Valuation Department was presented. Mr. Nash said the last valuations took place when land was at a very high figure, and upon that the rates had to be paid.; * He instanced a case in the Borough of Palmerston North in which 14 acres were leased from the Education Department at £6 per acre—that came to £B4 per year. The Borough rates and Elver Board fates amounted to £B9 10s. Thus the cost came to £l2 10s per acre. How could the lessee live on that 14 acres and pay a rental amounting to £l2 10s per acre?

It was an absolute impossibility, ho said. It was land that, could only ..be used for grazing. When the man took up tho land years ago he did not reckon upon such a gradual increase. Within the last few years the rates had-"doubled. Something should bo done in the matter by the Valuation Department, '-he value of the land should be reduced.

Those valuations, however, were not sustained when an application was made for a loan, and the applicant could take it for granted that he would have to pay for a new valuation. He knew of one case in which tho , valuation of £2OOO had been reduced to £ISOO. The high valuations were merely carried on for revenue purposes, but they should be sustained when a man made an application for a loan. Mr.-, Nash expressed the greatest admiration for the Valuation Department's officers, who, ho said, always gave prompt attention to their work.