A SECRET VALUATION ROLL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8784, 14 July 1914, Page 6

A SECRET VALUATION ROLL

There are many reasons why it is important to the great territorial magnates of this country that a squatter Government should bo in power. One of these reasons relates to a .secret valuation roll, concerning, which Mr Forbes has been somewhat curious, and which ho is anxious to sec on tho table of tho House. -Air Massey is unwilling to gratify the curiosity of Mr Forbes, and incidentally tho inquisitiveness of other people who desire to be satisfied that tho groat landowners are bearing their lair share of taxation. In other words. Air .Massey wishes to keep this valuation from the prying eyes of land reformers. Perhaps this wish is natural, because- the values on this secret valuation roll aro fixed by the territorial magnates themselves,' and on the self-made assessments the graduated tax is imposed. When Air Massey found himself being forced into a corner the Other night, under the persistent solicitation of Air Forbes that this secret valuation should bb produced, he sheltered himself behind the excuse that this was Air AlcNab’s legislation. AVoll, even if it was, that is no reason why Parliament - should not bo supplied with tho information that is sought concerning thcso valuations. Besides, as Air Forbes aptly pointed out, tho situation has changed in tho lust two years. Formerly, the secret Valuation roll was under the eye of a Liberal Minister, who was concerned to see that tho valuations were kept up to a fair average. Tho Alinieter was assisted, to that end by a. provision that if any landowner Under-valued his estate the Government had the right of taking tho land at that valuation. Now, we. have Mr Massey's ’ eye looking over tho valuations. There, is, ns Air Forbes puts it, a great difference between the sympathetic eye of Air Massey and x'ho eve. of a Liberal Alinistciv There has not been, as far as wo aro aware, any recent increase of thcso valuations for graduated tax purposes, although there unquestionably has been a substantial appreciation in the value of pastoral mid. agricultural lands all over tho country. Neither have. wo, nor anybody clso* licjvrd <iny instance of an estate being compulsorily taken because of under-valuation. It seems to us that Mr Forbes has made out a pood case for the production of that secret valuation roll. It is right, in the public interest, that ho should be enabled to ascertain what effect tho change of Government from Liberalism to Toryism has had so far as these values of the great estates are concerned. If, as ho says, the values aro not being maintained at a fair figure, tbo territorial magnates .are avoiding the payment of their fair share of taxation- They are evading it to* a great! extent in any case, but, so far as I arliiuucnt knows, the position under tli-5 •secret , valuation roll. may be even worse than is suspected.