BOOM IN LAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13915, 28 May 1909, Page 3

BOOM IN LAND.

HUSHING UP VALUATIONS'; CONDEMNATION BV A UARMEU. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND. May During the course of his presidential address this morning at the farmers' Union Conference. Air Allen Bell said that one very important work that had been continued by the executive during the past year had been the agitation for reform in the present system of assessing land values. He regretted to have to report that the latest returns show that the valuations made by the Government of rural lands were still being rushed up at an alarming rate. The present financial stringency. and the accompanying probable decrease in land values was. totally disregarded. and the abnormal booming of the past Few years went merrily on. The annual increase in the unimproved value now reached the large amount of over £12,000,000 per year. This enormous increase was made to the detriment of the farmers, and to the benefit oF the land boomers and sjieculators. He was convinced that the very worst thing that could happen to 'them as a farming community was this unwarranted inflation of land values.

'• In my official capacity,"' he continued. " I have conducted the agitation against the present system, and as a result of meetings held a large number of objections have been lodged and a solicitor employed to fight the cases at the Assessment Court, and I feel certain that if we stand solid, prepared to fight to a finish, we can in the near future bring about this much-needed reform. It is a significant fact that since the agitation started, the valuer has again visited the objectors, and in some cases I believe cut down his former valuation by 50 per cent. In my last forecast I" sounded a note of warning against high land values. I would again do so, for though the suggestion may at the time be unpopular with a large number of Farmers, the day will assuredly come when the bona fide farmer will, curse those who assisted in their creation, not only to the detriment of himself, but to every section of the community."'