GREATER AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15397, 4 September 1913, Page 8

GREATER AUCKLAND.

QUESTION OF VALUATIONS.

LOWER FIGURES : IN-.THE CITY.

An.argument often used by those opposed t0... the- Greater Auckland movement is that values in { the ;I city are fixed much higher than is the case. in'' the suburbs. This argument has been ,eroded as a result of careful analysis ;of ;; the values of the city and of the districts that have recently become amalgamated with it.

"A favourite argument," remarked the Mayor (Mr. 'C.*"'J?Parr)yesterday/" with Little Aucklanders who object to their districts joining the city is that the valuations in the city are fixed too high. At 'the meetings I addressed recently'in difSt rent districts practically the only objection' some • people had to urge to union with the' city was that'.our , city valuations were upon a higher scale than suburban valuations, ' and consequently that if the suburbs came into the city the valuations - would be brought ■up to the same figure as those in the city. '

-"In order," said the Mayor, -"to test the accuracy, the position assumed by these objectors,' I have had the figures closely examined in the city valuer's office. Wo have taken the city and the recent edditions of Parnell t and Archhill, and have compared their valuations on the basis of capitalising the annual rat able .values, at -5 per cent, in each case. Both Parnell and ' Archhill had collected rates on the annual ratable value. -As v/e have capitalised 'the annual values on precisely the same basis in each case the comparison is a perfectly ' fair' and legitimate 'one. ' How do these figures work out?

"We find now, as a matter of fact, that the city valuations are just 1.28 per cent, higher than the Government valuations. For practical purposes, therefore, the city valuations are* identical with those made by the Government. On the other hand, the Valuations' handed over to us by Parnell and Archhill, made by their own officers, show that the valuations in Parnell are ,20' per cent, higher than the Government valuations, while in Archhill the valuations handed over to us are 39.9 per cent- higher than those made by the •Government. " It will th'is be seen," said the Mayor, "that in the caGes of Parnell and Archhill, their valuations, instead of being lower than those of the city, as generally supposed, were very much higher. I have little doubt that the same thing applies to many of the other suburbsn districts."

THE EDEN TERRACE POLL.

CHEAT INTEREST AROUSED.

The question of whether the Eden Terrare Road Dirtrict ?h;'.ll be amalgamate ] with the city of Auckland will be decided on Saturday, September 13. Keen interest is being taken by the 455 persons registered on the roll, and it i.« anticipate that heavy polling will take place. The poll will be taken under the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1910. One polling-booth has been provided at the Eden Terrace Public Hall, New North Road, and it will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

It is anticipated that the decision of the Men Terrace ratepayers will hifluence the residents of Mount Albert. A request has already been sent to the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Pair) asking him to address the ratepayers of Mount Albert on the s-.bject of' Greater Auckland."