THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1892. LAND VALUATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2392, 6 August 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 1892. LAND VALUATION.

The report of the Commissioner of Taxes has been laid before Parliament. The total value of land in the colony is £122,220,021), being an increase of £11.U87,a10 over the valuation made under the property tax in 1888. It will be remembered that under the assessment of 1888 the value of land decreased by over £;>,000,000, and that the Property Tax commissioner said the large land owners were defrauding their neighbors. There has been a great deal of noise made about the appointments made by the present Government, an regards valuers and the Boards of Review. It is said that i li No one but one of the right color" could possibly get any position in connection with tjje valuations. The result has justified the. action of the Government in appointing men who would put a fair value on the land. For instance, the Ruakapuka estate was valued at £G, per acre, but it sold at £IG per acre, Mr Postletljwaite was i «; •»,„ /* the Board of Reviewers. , T ~ . , -ivd was said against J\ot a single w«,. . . . D , . , ■■ % x , -*ments made in the color of the appom. , v . previous years, although all o. without a single exception, were Conservative, but now, when for the first time Liberals are securing a share of Government patronage, the cry of the "right color" is raised. One thing can be said in reply, and it is that the Commissioner of Taxes does not say that " the men of the right color are defrauding their neighbors," as Mr Sperrey said with regard to the previous valuation. The men of the right, color are coming out of everything with clean hands so far. it is on the other side the scrip trafficking, and other little foibles are to be found. The report shows a still more hopeful and satisfactory result. It shows that the greater part of the increase in the value of the land has taken place in the North Island, where rural land has increased in value bv £(5.000,000, and town property by £1,M00,000. This shows the great progress which the North Island has been making, both in town and country, and gives us hope that, in the near future it will have so far developed as to greatly lessen taxation throughout the colony. The commissioner thinks that by next valuation in 1804, the North Island will overtake the South. There can be no doubt of this, especially if the present Government remain in power, and continue to prosecute land settlement as they have hitherto done. In the South Island the towns have not increased in value, but rural land has increased to the extent of .-£:■!. 000,000, of which nearly £2.000,000 is made up in Canterbury. We are perfectly satisfied that the

value of land in Canterbury has not increased to that extent during the last three years, and therefore we do not hestitate to say it had been undervalued to nearly that extent by previous assessments. The large landowners of Canterbury do not, of course, like men of " the right color." to value their lands : they would prefer men of their own color. Nemesis has, howerer. at last caught them. They were, as the late Mr Sperrey said, defrauding their neighbors, and now they do not relish having to pay their fair and honest share of taxation.