NEW VALUATIONS IN HOROWHENDA.

Otaki Mail, 25 August 1930, Page 4

NEW VALUATIONS IN HOROWHENDA.

.£4,853,685 £4,7 THE VALUATIONS DISCUSSED.

Some particulars relating to the revaluation of the Horowlienua County were given at' the special meeting of Vhe Council last week, by the County Chairman. (Mr O. A. Monk). JTliey3howed that a reduction had been effected in the gross values of the southern ridings, while an increase had 1 , been brought about in' the two northern ridings. There lias been a nett ■ reduction of about £70,000, and the l aggregate valuation of the County is; now a little over four and three-quarter millions sterling. The meeting was held for the purpose of passing the general estimates. At the annual meeting, in June, the public works estimates were agreed to, but the other estimates 'were held over pending the re-valuation, until the completion of which the Council was not in a position to strike the rates for the year ending March 31st next. The Chairman said it appeared from the effect of the re-valuation that the Otaki and To Horo ridings had been very much overloaded in the past, while the Wirokino and Tc Horo ridings had not been over-valued. There would be some objections to the valuations and probably some reductions, but generally it seemed that the two southern ridings, in which there was a considerable amount of hill country, had been very much over-valued, and for the last ten years the general expenditure of the County had had to take its share of that. Objections were now being called for in the Wirokino riding, and he believed that there would be some objections. Cr. Gimblett: They have run out of forms at the Post Ofllee. • The Chairman: That is to be deplor-

cd, too. Continuing, tho Chairman stated that the total valuation of the County was not greatly altered. Comparing-1929-30 with 1930-31, the difference was less than £100,000; but it. was found that the Otalci riding was reduced by £lll,603 and the To Horo riding by £134,087. In the Tokomaru riding there was an increase of £79,428 and in the AVirokino riding of £97,057. Tokomaru riding showed the greater rise, because in the AVirokino riding there was the addition for rating of the C.D. barm settlement. Of the total valuation of (lie County, Tokomaru showed an increase from 27 to 29 per cent., AVirokino an increase from 39 to 42 per cent., Otaki a decrease from 10 to 13 per cent., and To Horo a decrease from 18 to 16 per cent. The total valuation was £4,784,530. The Chairman added that these were only provisional values, and were subject to alterations through objections- and so forth. Cr. Gimblett said that when there were four valuers in one riding—as there had been in Wirokino—it was very hard for them to arrive at a uniform system of values, lie wished to correct the impression that had got abroad that the values of hill country had been' reduced in the Wirokino riding. A good deal of the hill land that ho knew had been increased in value. Hi' had bought a property, subject to a Government re-valuation, which brought it down to roughly £lO Ids an acre: the value that had now been placed an it was £l3 10s. He had made some improvements to if, but he could not understand how an extra £3 an acre could be put on the value of 600 acres. .The question was whether the valuers could make the property pay'at that figure. Was the Government setting out to drive men off the land? In a good ninny eases with regard to* hill country in the Wirokino riding the aim seemed to have been to place the value, as high as possible; , and he contended that that was not right, considering I lie prospects with which farmers were faced to-day; the price of tieece wool ibid just fallen by l|d per lb. Tlie Department would say that a period of years must be taken in order to arrive at an average value:; but wlmt were "armors to expect in the future? In many eases he coubl not s'cc that the Department, was' acting 'in a fair way fo the man on the kind in increasing the values. Jlow many farmers cared to abject to the higher assessments? A large, landowner had stated in conversation'that .he hated to object and was not going to do so. One of that man’s sons was on a property where fie. could not make good at the money, but no objection would be lodged, it was unfair to increase hill values in Wirobin o while reducing them in other ridings. Any man on rough country whose valuation had been raised by £2OOO had. case,"to complain. The ChaVruian:sympathise with" you, 1 am one of the unfortunates. Or. Gimblett: And did you object? The Chairman: I did. Cr. Jensen said he did not think that the general valuation would have very much bearing on the work of the Council in dealing with the estimates before it- They had to be satisfied with ;i/e values, until such time as'a better .system -of valuing was in. force. They could not at present say that the valuation as affecting the whole County was unfair; they would have to go further into the matter before they could say so. Referring to the Te Horo riding, Cr. Jensen said that, in the eastern portion .there was a. very large area of very stony land; this was grad •sally being improved, but the process was very costly. Towards the coast there was a lot of swamp laud, all of which was expensive to farm owing to the constant necessity of cleaning . drains, and making new drains: I

he believed that the draining: had been taken, into -consideration Iby the valuer. It was easy to see the reason for the reduction of the valuations of the two southern ridings. It appeared that the southern eiiU of the County had been over-valued .in tlie past. The valuers had perhaps now arrived at a more uniform value over the County as a whole. As to tin- system, how was a uniform value to be obtained’ unless a sole valuer were in charge ? The men working under him could dc, their work just as well, and the result would be more uniform than when the County was divided into different 'sections.for separate valuing. As long as the ■■. present .system was fq}.-I B! ’ l it , seemed impossible .-to secure Mi form value that was so iiece's£or rating purposes.

Discussion by County Council, The Total Reduced by About £70,000. ‘ Uniform System of Valuing Favoured. OLD AND NEW VALUATIONS COMPARED. 1929-30 1930-31 Increase Decrease Tokomaru £1,291,476 £1.370,954 £79,478 Wirokino 1,919,019 97,057 Otaki 757,606 646,003 £ Hi’087 Te Horo 885,584 751,497 134,087

84,530 £176,535 £245,690 Or. Ryder said that, if any member of the Council had to do the valuing, lie would find it difficult to satisfy everybody. All kinds of conditions had to be taken into consideration. Ha had known land-owners to complain about valuations when they would not have sold at the figure placed on their property. ' Cr. Gimblctt: Are you going to drive them off the land? Cr. Ryder said lie thought that tlie. land kept everybody, and he was not desirous of driving any man oft' the land. There was such a thing as a fair valuation, but there wore- men who were not satisfied with a fair valuation. Taking various circumstances into consideration, it was no easy matter for any valuer to arrive at a reasonable figure. There might be the case of'-a hard-worldng farmer, with a family who was improving his property, and the valuation was increased. That was not right, but it was the system under which they were working. He felt that he was speaking on a subject which he understood. If ho had his way lie would —except in the case of very small holdings—make everv man his own valuer, and if the farmer said that he could not take a certain return off it then let someone else farm it. Cr. Colquhoun said he should have more cause for complaint than Cr. Gimbtett, because the increase in his valuation was even greater. He was of the opinion that tlie County rates should be struck on the unimproved value. The Chairman: You are" on very thin

Cr. Colquhoun: Tlie more a man works, and improves liis country, tlie more he has to pay for the man who does not.

When the estimates were under consideration, the Chairman remarked that the new valuations imposed a huge amount of extra work on the County office staff. There were over one hundred special rating areas in the County, and in all these cases adjustments had to be made before the rate notices could bo sent out.

In the Tokomaru riding the estimates provided for the same nominal rate as last year —§d in tlie £—but the estimate of the return from it under the new valuation, was £3570, as against £3273 under the old valuation, last year. Cr. Barber asked for a reduction for this riding, and said that the valuation had been increased in one-half of the riding, but not in the other half. Ilis own County'rate on oner section would rise by one-third. Cr. Gimblctt questioned whether the Tokomaru riding could manage with t lower rate than was proposed, and he considered that if Cr. Barber was not satisfied, lie should put forward some suggestion. In order to test the feeling of tlie meeting, the Chairman moved lliai th? Tokomaru estimates be adopted. The motion was seconded by Cr. Whyte, and was carried without dissent.

The County Clerk (Mr F. 11. Hudson) stated that, with what was already in hand, the same hospital rate would carry tha County through, although the Board had increased the assessment by between £3OO and £4OO.