BOROUGH VALUATIONS

Southland Times, Issue 17788, 18 July 1916, Page 5

BOROUGH VALUATIONS

.MEETING OF OBJECTORS.

Close on sixty city ratepayers met in the Council Chambers last evening to enlist for the campaign against increased borough valuations. Mr J. Crosby Smith, who was voted to the chair, said that dissatisfaction with the recent valuation was general and not confined to any one section of the community. There were 1800 ratepayers in Invercargill, and 300 had already lodged objection forms. As the outcome of a former public meeting, the Department had been asked to withdraw the whole of the latest valuations and leave the values unaltered until after the war. This it had refused to do, and the only thing for the ratepayers was to take up the whole matter and lay specimen cases before the Assessment Court, in the hope tha*t a general reduction would be granted. They had also decided at once in what manner they would approach the court, and how the expense was to be met. Mr R. C. Tennent thought that ttie meeting should hear a report from the committee which had been set up at the previous meeting. Mr E. W. P.ickneli, on behalf of that committee, stated that Messrs R. Erskine, president of the Southland Building Society, and <W. Brown, a past valuer, had been interviewed, and both were convinced that the valuations were excessive. These two gentlemen weie Unite prepared to appear before the Court and give evidence. Mr Tennent then moved that Messrs Rrsklne and Brown be asked to appear as witnesses before the Court. Both gentlemen, he said, were well Qualified to give evidence, and ttie speaker was confident that the ratepayers’ affairs could not he placed lit better hands. This was seconded by Mr K. H. AN liitniorc and carried unanimously Mr John McQueen moved, and Mr X. J. M. Rein seconded, that Mr J. V. Lillicrap be appointed solicitor to the ratepayers.—Carried unanimously. On the. motion of ttie chairman, it was then resolved that the expense of the proceedings be borne proportionately to the unimproved vale of the ratepayers concerned. Messrs J. Crosby Smith, E. \N. Btcknell, John Taylor. C. l>ewis, and Dr Hunter were appointed a committee to work UT> the case, and these gentlemen, together with the solicitor, will meet daily, in the Council Chambers from a to 6 p.m. to confer with objectors who may wish their positions considered. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.