"ONE OF GREATEST EVILS"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19334, 26 May 1937, Page 13

"ONE OF GREATEST EVILS"

UNIMPROVED VALUE RATE

MR. WILLIAMS' VIEWS "OLARIKO ANOMALIES" Describing rating on the unimproved value as one of the greatest, evils liesetting the country, Mr, C. 11. Williams, Muriwai, speaking in the MakarakaMatiiwhero Hall on Monday night, supplemented his remarks made at Patn lahi on the .adject of the system of rating.

"A great pari oi your present difficulties." he said, "is" brought about by the. system of rating on unimproved values, and in my opinion the amount of injustice thai tins system is responsible for in New Zealand is incalculable. The subject is a confusing one and very few Fanners have cither time or inclination to del\e into it . As a consequence, it is I'ullv understood by a very few.

"Any alteration in the general" level of values, lie said after ([noting figures, '•involves a radical all era I ion in flic distribution of rate burden right, through the country. The alteration is so grotesque that it amounts to distortion. The same total sum must be raised, so these who are now paying much will pay more and those who are paying little will pay less; rich or poor, it makes no difference. Clip man is arbitrarily penalised and another rewarded for no reason al all.

''Grossly Inequitable'' "It is impossible to argue that such a condition of things is equitable. Three entirely different measures of distribution cannot till be equitable. The inevitable conclusion is (bid till are grossly inequitable, no matter how valuers wangle their figures, and I believe they do attempt to mitigate the evil.'but they cannot avoid these anomalies, because thev are inherent in the system.

''The unimproved value system then involves the. transference of values to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds from one set of people to another set. and with every change of real values thai are due to outside influences and are common to all a further transference one way or Cue other takes 1 place. If this transference is just and fair, well and good, but if it is unjust it looks to me like legalised robbery on a gigantic scale. Any fall in values means a Further act of piracy, any rise means a restoration of some of the loot. Ability to Pay "Under the capital value system,'' Mr. Williams added, "the things are quite otherwise. To begin with, the distribution is in reasonable, proportion to ability to pay and, carried out by the same valuer,, values should be fairly consistent throughout a county. Any general rise or fall in the level of values will not disturb the distribution at. all. The outback places will still get the advantage to which they are justly entitled inasmuch as their valuation will be on a lower scale relative, to production than those situated near to the amenities of civilisation, but the exaggerated and distorted discrepancies which exist, at present cannot occur."

"I have tried to show." lie concluded, "how and to what extent yon are being unjustifiably penalised. Knowing the «ause is the first step to 'finding the remedy. I hold no brief lor the (lisborne riding such, hut having studied the matter to some extent, having found such glaring anomalies and having an average sense of justice, ! do fee! a sense of duty towards the farmers, big or small, who are suffering tinder definite injustice. Rightly or wrongly, I look upon the unimproved value system of rating and faxing as one of the greatest evils besetting this country this day, and 1 am happy to get, this opportunity of saying so in public."