CITY VALUATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18198, 19 March 1921, Page 7

CITY VALUATIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sra,—The decision in the recent appeal against the valuation of property in Pitt street has caused some comment amongst those interested directly or indirectly. As to the legal points on which the decision was based the layman can say little or nothing. He bows to the knowledge. of the judge of the Assessment Court, who is bound by the law, which it is his duty to carry out. But there are aspects other than the legal. One understands that the city valuer feels constrained to' defend the values arrived at by himself. No man likes admitting that he_ has made a mistake. But the evidence points pretty clearly to an error of judgment having been made, and to fight and win on a technical point ’ seems to imply a lack of the sporting spirit on the part of the corporation. s Another question raised is that of valuations in general. When a body with rating powers wishes to enlarge its revenue it may do so in three ways. It may increase the rates; it may increase the values on which these rates are levied; or it may combine both methods. The City Corporation has chosen the second course, and it is doubtful whether it is the wisest. For some years East all values, including that of property, ave been artificially inflated. The action of the corporation has a distinct tendency to fix these abnormal values, to give' an official sanction, to' them, and to cause unwary persons to regard them as permanent. It is quite difficult enough to get prices down to a safer level without this obstacle. Again, the old valuations had been subjected to a sifting process, and, roughly speaking, been accepted by both Sides as _ fair. A new set of valuations disturbs this condition, and brings with it a fresh crop of dissatisfaction, complaints, and appeals. It would have been more simple and, I venture to think, wiser to have raised what extra money was required by an increase in the rates. It would be interesting to know the opinion of others more familiar with the problem.—l am, etc., Dunedin, March 17. Z.