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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7683, 5 February 1904, Page 4

The Borough Council, like Oliver Twist, is " asking for more," and a feeling is growing in this town that it is asking for too much. But a short time ago, properties in this town were valued on a generous scale, which made many people wince. Now, before people have become quite reconciled to the late turn of the screw, the demon valuer is again invoked to put values up another peg. We understand that the Valuation Department considered the present re-valua-tion to be premature ; but that its hands were forced by the Borough Council. Of course, the Council may have good reasons for enforcing frequent valuations, and, no doubt, in due course, these will be declared. All that can be said in the meantime is that there will be serious opposition to an increase of rating values among business men in the community ; and unless the Borough Council takes the public into its confidence and proves that an annual re-valuation is necessary, the opposition may turn out to be a serious blow to the prestige of the present Council —a Council which has done good service to the community, but which might, by an error of judgment, lose a confidence which, on other grounds, it deserves.