VALUING THE CITY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 5

VALUING THE CITY

A BIG TASK WHAT THE VALUERS HAVE HAD TO FACE "I would sooner value any other four cities in New Zealand than Wellington," said the Valuer-General "(Mr. F. W. Flanagan) in reply to an inquiry ae to how the work of valuing' the City was progressing. "It has been a very big job, I can tell you," said Mr. Flanagan, "and instead of taking three or four months it has kept us going up till the present timei It has .meant that we havo practically had to prepare new' sectional plans of the whole 'City. The old valuations were based on old. plans of the City prepared by Mr. T. Ward, but many alterations have taken place since then, and we have found many mistakes in tho frontages, and this has meant a lot of checking work in the Land Transfer Office. But the work has been done thoroughly this time, and will be a sound basis for valuation work in Wellington for the future.

"There will be shown' a good many ups and downs in the valuations. It must be remembered that wheu' Wellington was last valued in 1906 there was a. boom, and the land values were unduly high. In some places these have had to come down a little, whilst in other places there has been an advance, hut in every case the greatest cars has been taken to adjust values fairly, and I don't think there will be much work for the Court. • We Save already got out all the Thorndon notices, and those for the Berhampore district,' and the objections received up to tie present have 1 not been numerous. Thero are seven volumes in the Wellington valuation roll and notices in connection with three volumes have already _been issued, and those for a fourth roll are just about 'to be issued. The only part of the city that has not yet been dealt with is Polhill's Gully, so we are nearing the end." When will you be able to let the City Council know the Tesult of the valuation so-thai the rate can be struck? "I hope to bo in a position to give the CQunfcil approximate figures by the end of next week. Those figures will bo:_ sufficient to enable the council to strike its rate for the year."