FARMER NEGLECTED

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12614, 26 November 1926, Page 12

FARMER NEGLECTED

BY VALUATION DEPARTMENT CITIES DERIVE BENEFIT OPINION OF CHAMBERS The opinion was expressed at the y Chambers of Commerce conference . yesterday that the Valuation Departl ment had confined its attention to urt ban areas and had neglected the coun- ? try, this reacting to the farmers* detriment. The conference also dealt • with a largo order paper of miscellaneous remits. ‘ In dealing with questions affecting the land generally, the conference urged closer settlement as an aid to greater production, and also passed a remit asking for a rev.aluation of the whole of the rural lands of New Zealand with the object of bringing land | down to present-day values. Air R. B. Bell vTimaru) moved the remit seeking a general revaluation. Many valuations, he said, were made at a time when the price of land was much higher than at present, and it appeared that the valuation office had confined its attention largelv to boroughs and cities, where increases in values were to be expected, and had done very little in the country, wheie decreases were certain. Land tax was based on unimproved values, and in their collection, the Government secured more from the farmer than it was entitled to receive. The position in respect to rates was even worse, for where the value was too high the unfortunate farmer paid more thali his share. It did not necessarily follow—as might be argued—that if county valuations dropped, the rates in the pound would automatically rise, because it would sheet home the necessity of economy. VALUES A GUIDE “Government values,” Mr Bell went on,/‘if properly fixed, are looked upon as a guide to lenders and purchasers who intend to operate on the security of land, and in the past the Valuation Department had tended to make the figure on the low side—although this is never officially admitted by the department. The conference expressed the opinion in a remit that except for such graduated tax as is neeessarv to prevent land aggregation for idle holding of rural land, the land tax be abolished and income from land be taxable in the same manner as income from other sources. MAILS AND SHIPPING Equal treatment in the matter of first arrivals and first calls of steamers the east coast of America and the west coast of England, is to be asked for all the main ports of New Zealand. 'This was asked for on account of South Island disabilities in steamer services. Efforts will also be made to urge the Government to arrange for better steamer communication between Melbourne and South Island ports. The Government will b« asked to inquire into the expediency of using the Panama route for mail services. The conference recommended that facilities be accorded the people of New Zealand to obtain by direct shipments to main ports, better supnlies of fruit groivn in the Pacific islands. A remit passed hv the conference congratulates the Postal Department upon tho financial results of the telephone branch, and calls for a reduction of rates to subscribers. MAIN ROADS In view of the fact that the main highways, particularly in the vicinity of cities and towns, had not been improved as a result of the operations of the Main Highways Act. the Highways Board (in order to encourage reconstruction of roads where it is considered necessary’) is to he requested to substantially increase the subsidy for reconstruction work. The conference recorded its satisfaction at the operation cf herd testing and supported the request for a Government subsidy towards this end. provided that an equitable basis of distribution of any such grant is determined. whereby the benefit of the subsidy will reach those farmers who effectively applv the principles of herdtesting and culling ! ! . i ; 1 ' t