LAND VALUATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 10

LAND VALUATIONS.

V' there are'-bitter complailjiy from; ;€nil,..tq ,of .tlie Dominion.of tho excessive values'put-on land, and tho low valuation? ; allowed for 'improvements.' yl,; hofcic^,/ ; .isf-r-qf opred, ; .p^&sideiit'. of tho.banners' Ifnion Conference being held -at- Wellington,/but |that-.is as-far as it. gets by.our .farmors'- unions. Thore is no action, taken. Jiut to givo an instance of how farmers aro had by values of land and improve-ments,--;I jWiJI. quote, thfl:, list,sittings of,the j Court ,at; Feiidiiig ;.bri: tho: Oroua | county's 'valuationalthough /tho valuer re-, marked"that iso .'few .objections: showed the I'settiers to'bo well/ahtisOed with 'his values." Ue niight'have,.said at;,the .'same,time£and he would ,have been! nearer the.. truthj. that settlors were so disgusted with' appealing and rgettiu'gHO'."satisfacßoh.;that / ,they-know/it; is' a... waste' of- time; encourages tho;imposition all the more.. ;■ -. •">The valuations, as faras I could see iri'this. ■partj-.twere; based..on iMrne fictitious saio'.-that had.: taken'" place in -the l(jcality, with ;Jittlo. irioney -passing, and, therefore, all lands.near that -; littlo transaction . must.. take ; the' same; !va)uo ; . ,without v. aiiy, -adequate >' inspection. Again, regarding •improvements.. All fonces and grass -iands aro' valued. at. ten- shillings' per chain for fences, be they good or bad, arid tho same for grassed lands at por; acre. Well, ' surely ; this is ' ridiculous. Ndthing short of robbery ;to T.tin .up the unimproved , i value.;.for,,,taxa.tion' purposes.; If:we- go .back Wlß96;.'\Vheri 'f6iiciiigVmatirial;Wasonly "half tho .'price, at least for totara posts, and labour was, much Jess arid of better value, settlers wei'o allowed 15s.- per chain for' fencing,. and iri;somo parts ,20s. .So it is easy to be seen how farmers aro sat on by those in pojyci iJ . at; the -present/time; 7 ;Wo must blame tho fanners':;themselves _/and . the. farmers'' unions for not taking.action in these matters. ;. >As .an instaiico, land valued at £16. per acrej-iwith;• dwelling,,;staple,.,aud large 'granary . and wool-shed, well fenced, ' and sub-! d.iyidcd arid in grass only being allowed little moro, than .£3 . apro ; for , milking the. unimproved value over. £12 per acre for land purposes, whilo tho 'actual ,uri T improved.i'yalyo. of the . samo : land ' was £2 per aero' before ever' a .tree .was fallen or a plough put in it. And I maintain that is tho proper';-unimproved value now. ; - What , improvements have bceu-idonc on the'farms'and ' roads;; have been. .done : .by ; the. settlers themselves! 'or-by money,collected■fitfm them by' ratei.'-. It; is Btirely time for the' farmers of the Dominion 1 to take a stand for thoir rights/ and not act, the.part of dunces, and wlien the opportunity occurs;' allowing themselves/to bo fleeccd right ■ and .left—l 'am, etc.',.,,:,-;■:- '. .-..'•■ v"'-. • farmer; July 28.