The Globe. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1237, 21 February 1878, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1878.

We published some few days back a comparative return of the assessment of the City of Christchurch for the past eight years. Our readers were no doubt astonished to notice that the valuation for 1878 showed a considerable falling off as compared with that of the preceding year. So far as could bo seen there was no reason why this should bo so. Property in the city, it was generally believed, had increased in value; there had beeu no commercial crisis to stagnate trade and cause depreciation. Therefore this falling off was unaccountable. It also seems to have struck the Finance Committee of the City Council in the same light, and they determined upon comparing the roll of last with that of this year. When they did this a most peculiar state of things was found to exist. Properties upon which, say, an assessment of £SOO was paid in 1877 without appeal, wore assessed in 1878 for £3OO. No reason was apparent for the reduction. As we have said the value of property had not, it was generally believed, decreased. On the contrary, there had beeu a gradual and steady increase during the year. Naturally, therefore, an increased assessment was looked for. But so far from this being the case, that of 1878 is less than that of 1877. Under these circumstances the Finance Committee had but one course to pursue. By the Rating Act of last session any local body—which includes Municipalities, Road Boards, &c. —being of opinion that the assessment is too low can lodge objections against certain properties in the same way that the owners can object, if they consider the rating too high. The matter then comes before the Assessment Court for decision. This course has been adopted by the committee, and a special meeting of the City Council was held last night to consider their report. We are quite at a loss to understand the opposition raised by some members of the Council. As was aptly pointed out by one of the speakers, the clause under which action was taken is the only check the Council has upon its assessor. Without it, he could place a ridiculously low rate upon certain properties, and for that year, without some such provision as the one referred to, it would have to remain. There can bo little doubt that the many cases of inconsistent valuation pointed out by the members of the committee fully justified them in taking the step they did. Had they delayed doing so, the time would have gone past and the assessment as made would have had to remain for the year. We are inclined to think that what has happened will teach the Council a lesson upon one important point, and will cause them to reflect whether the continuance of the present system of assessment is desirable. At present it is put up to tender. Valuators are but human, and subject to the same influences as other men. The sum paid for the work is in many cases but small, and there is danger of the work therefore being done, to say the least of it, in a perfunctory manner. The cure for this is simple. Instead of putting the assessment of the City up to tender each year, lot the work bo done by a salaried official of the Council, whose duty it shall bo to make a correct and accurate valuation upon something like an intelligible basis. Ho will be responsible to the Council for : the .correctness o£ .his work,. aud care will be taken to overlook it, and see that no such peculiar valuations occur in it as do in the one just made, Until this .8 done, we shall never be free from the chance of another such a sweeping reduction in our rating income being made, at the c.aprice of some valuator who has taken the work at a low rate. As regards the present one, the Council, we hope, will sustain the objections made In the very glaring cases quoted at the meeting* last night. It would be unfair to the general body of ratepayers if they did not. We are no advocates for excessive taxation, but, if we are to have rates, let us have them paid equitably, it wifi not do to take £IOO or £2OO value off largo warehouses in the centre of the city, where the value of property is increasing every day, at the expense of less valuable properties. So far as can be seen, tbo Finance Committee are to bo commended for the stand they have taken, but, until an alteration is made in the present system, we shall always bo subject to a recurrence of thp same kind of evil