TAUMARUNUI VALUATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, 29 June 1914, Page 8

TAUMARUNUI VALUATIONS.

TOWNSMEN'S OBJECTIONS.

AN INCREASE OF £121,512.

[il? TM.ECRAPU.OWN" CORRKSI'OKDKNT.]

Tacmajiunti, Sunday. A deputation', consisting of the Mayor of Taumarnniii and others, waited on Mr. ('. K. Wilson, M.P., at. the Borough Council chambers on Friday to lay before him what was considered the quite unreasonably high valuation of the borough.

Mr. Langmuir complained that tile valuation of the borough had gone up from £68,470 to £190,382. an astonishing and quite unjustifiable increase. lie instanced his own section, which had been raised from £200 unimproved value to £840 unimproved value. "This meant that in 11 years' time, when thy first period of tho lease had expired, he would be paying on the valuation a ground rent of £42 a year instead of his present rental of £10 a year.

Mr. Wilson said there was a gTeqt difference between a valuation lor; rating purposes and one for renting purposes. Future rentals, aS was the case in' Waitara and certain west coast towns', would be billed oil a, special valuation tp be made within a year of tho expiration of the term.

Mr. Langmuir said that tlio present valuations would no doubt in(bicnw r the special valuation. It was a monstrous tiling that they should pay to the natives in rent 5 per cent, on £100,000, especially since tho natives had created none of tho value

Mr. .Strang thought a scheme should ho devised whereby tho native owners should bear some of the cost of the town improvements. A great step in advance would be to have the owners' ipWesU defined. but the process by which this could be accomplished was so extremely difficult- that no one thought of attempting it. Mr. Laird explained a scheme which ho had formulated for dealing with the situation. 411. sums spent oi> town improvements should be deducted from the amount of the unimproved volu9 as arrived at by a special valuation, and this should 1» called "the actual unimproved value." Rentals could be based on this, and'it would he a practical and equitable basis. Mr. Wilson agreed that this was a fair proposition. He thought that although compulsory acquisition of the Maoris' interests would never bo granted by Parliament it might be possible to secure the compulsory indiyjdunlising of natives' interests. and so facilitate purchase. Tl)o member said he would ijo into the wliolu matter and do what he could to help them.