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Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 84, 2 March 1877, Page 2

The last of the objections against the County Council assessment were disposed of in the Assessment Court yesterday. In the majority of cases the valuations were pared down considerably. Upon the question of the propriety of the reductions made, as well as of those refused, there appears to be some diversity of opinion. It has been said, in effect, that the residents are standing in their own light by seeking a reduction of taxation, as the effect of their succeeding will beto trammel the ttsefttlneis of the Council. This may be quite cortrect, but property holder*, mi ?If.2 Cttlßrly large P ro Per t.v holders, will hardly be expected to discriminate between »uch a theoretical nicety and the cecity which in due time will arrive for the prompt payment of a certain sum in hard cash, and there is little to doubt that bo long as machi■6rv lUntxmiAaA f*- ~l:~~i: <.

ments, persons will be fouod to take advantage of it. Tbe manner in which a few of the objections have been dealt with has given rise to some dissatisfaction; but it could not well be otherwise where so large a number of cases had to be dealt with The constitution of tbe Assessment Court as provided by the Act, appears to us to be open to many objections, and not the least of these is tbe fact that the presiding officer is placed in the unpleasant position of sitting alone m judgment upon estimates arrived at Jjreßiittably by experts, who are, or otigbt to be, from their own personal knowledge really the best judges of the value of property, • However anxious we may all be to see the Council raised to the highest degree of efficiency, ou own opinion is that the whole of th assessments are extravagantly high and that the day is not far remote when they will have to be sliced down to half the present amount.