LAND VALUERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1929, Page 10

LAND VALUERS.

There will be general agreement with: the Minister of Lands (Hon. G. W. Forbes) that there is room for considerable improvement in the system of land values throughout New Zealand. The complaints of inequalities, of lack of system, and of actual injustice are as frequent from the owner of land in cities and towns as they are from those holding rural areas. It did not seem from Mr. Forbes’ general remarks that he sees any very clear way to remedy matters. He agreed that so far as farm lands were concerned it was necessary to have men with practical experience as farmers to act as valuers for the State. The Minister pointed out that even with practical men as valuers, and making the main principle of valuation the productivity of the land, there would still be differences of opinion. The same land in capable hands, and possibly with sufficient capital available for its immediate development, might be justifiably valued at considerably more than would seem fair to a less, experienced' or less .prosperous occupier. Mr. Forbes stressed the difficulty his department found in obtaining the services of the best qualified men. It can easily be understood that few successful farmers are likely to seek such employment. Thev usually prefer the more independent “life on their own holdings, while the judgment of the man who has not been a success as a farmer himself if he becomes a State valuer is bound to be questioned by those whose properties he advises upon. However, it is generally possible to get the right men if the importance of their work is sufficiently recognised by the rate of pay, and there is little doubt but that the Valuation Department would find this, the case also. As regards town and city valuations, entirely different qualification's are necessary. Complaint is often made that high prices obtained for town lands, often in circumstances that are ouite exceptional, and therefore justify the price paid, are allowed to affect the valuation of land in the same neighbourhood in a manner which is manifestly unfair. Productivity in rural areas and commercial suitability and demand in urban lands would seem to be the only safe guides to fair valuation. Given the acceptance of this as a basic principle, and the employment of practical, levelheaded and experienced officials, the anomalies and injustices that are now complained of should be reduced very considerably, if they cannot be altogether removed.