LAND VALUATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7140, 30 May 1910, Page 12

LAND VALUATION

A QUIXOTIC PROPOSAL,

In the discussion, on the vexed question of land valuation at the Wellington Provincial Conference of the Farmers’ Union, the majority of the speakers did not throw much light on the question. Generally there was displayed a want of careful analysis of the subject, with the result that some delegates expressed the most crude views, which were certainly not expressive of the best opinion on the matter. It is to be feared that when some men are appointed delegates to a conference they imagine they must speak on every subject on the order paper, whether they understand it or not. In the Marton discussion, a delegate expressed the quixotic view that the land, tax should be assessed on the chemical analysis of the soil. The president, Mr Wilson, pointed out chemical analyses were not an actual guide to the productive capacity of land, though a soil survey of the district would be to a very groat extent. It was not, said Mr Wilson, the knowledge supplied by the exact analysis of the chemist which provided the key to productive capacity; it was the availability of the plant food in. the soil. Mr Wilson could, had he desired, have elaborated this theme. For instance, location—lying to or away from the sun —climate, subsoil, distance from means of communication and market, and other details combine to make a knowledge of the percentage of available plant food an absolutely useless of ascertaining taxable value. Even given a fair estimate of productive value, there would be more dissatisfaction created than exists with the present method. If there is not more unanimity of opinion at the Dominion of the union on the method of assessing land taxation, it will he difficult for the world at large to know what the farmer really wants.