HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1178, 13 July 1911, Page 5

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) $ ASSESSMENT COURT. A sitting of the Lower Hutt Assessment' Court was held yesterday, Dr. Jl'Arthur presiding. Messrs. Cudby (Department's nominee) and Harper (Lower Hutt Borough Council) were also on the Bench. Sir. I l '. N. Martin, valuer, represented tho Valuation Department. G. London objected to the valuation of .£1370 placed on one and three-quarter acres of land on White's Line. Ho stated that he would be glad to take .£9OO for the section. It was true that it had a frontage of some 1300 feet to White's Line, but this, even with tho additional depth that would be obtained by including the section at tbe rear, would not be worth 255. per foot.—The valuation was sustained. Messrs. M'Ewan and Carter, for whom Mr. E. P. Bunny appeared, objected to the valuation ot a section of 15 acres (the Te Momi Estate) which had been raised f 10111 .£3OOO to ,£6OOO. Mr. Martin disputed the lessee's right to object to tho capital value of their holdings but. after bearing argument, tho Bench held otherwise. Mr. Bunny contended that the valuation had been made 011 a basis of future possible sub-division, but he contended that the land in question was unsuitable at present for sub-division, and he called evidence with a view to showing the land was wet. om wit,i,-ss re marking that "no sensible mai would live 011 it in winter."—The Coiu-t reduced tho valuation to the former amount' of <£3000. The Boothby Estate tTustees objected to a valuation of ,£225 per aero on a block of land fronting Waiwetu and Waterloo Roads. Mr. Martin stated that the adjoining section had been recently sold at .£2BO per acre, and the Court' sustained the valuation. Valuations w re upheld on -he followiw; properties: James Patte.i, half tcre ip Eton infield Terrace, <£825; T. W. Tvmons Bellevue Road, ,£205 and ,£310; W. S. Judd, -£500; H. M. Hayward (Native lease); The Rev. Father Lane objected to the valuation of a section adjoining !.e Pres. bjttry, on the Alain Road opposite the Lower Hutt Post OlT.ce. Three ears ag:j the valuation had been in;reasivl from •CSOO to ,P~SO, and now to ,£1320. Mr. Ilunnv, who appeared for the objector, argued at length on the question r.f valuing church property, and the valuation was reduced to <£750. The following entered formal objections in order that their properties might bo offered to the Government under Section 31 of the Land Valuatin Act:—ll. M. Hayward, Egglington Bros., and D. Connelly. The hearing of further objections was adjourned till 2.15 p.m. 011 Monday ncxl, at Wellington.