ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1204, 25 February 1880, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

T0 the.editok of the oamaru mail; ; ''' - Sir, —Can anyone tell; me' upon what system Corporations' valuations are made. Last year v Mr. 'Clarke was the valuer, and :>yho is.there that; does,jiiot jrememJjer the storm of" 'indignation' with which' his were received; by the. Council, and .the multitude, of appeals by "the Cbrporatioji that' *occupied the attention of "thfe Court'' liiitil our worthy magistrate was fairly worn out. The Council, on that occasion succeeded in

adding to Mr. Clarke's assessments. What surprises me is that the assessments this year are in numbers of instances higher even than those made by tho Council itself last year, of course, tho of councillors exceptod. How* ever,: what'l want more particularly to show" is'that certairf councillors have been letjoff unconscionably easy this year, and that other ratepayers are expected to make tip the deficiency caused in tho Council's income by the leniency of tho valper towards these sticklers for high valuations for others and low ones for themselves. I will give no instances, but I lyill merely remark that it was tho Council's duty to object to the low valuations on the property of some of tho councillors this year, and to take legal measures, if necessary, to have had them raised so as to make them more in cou* sonance with the rates which will have to be paid by other people. It is a fact that notwithstanding the fall in £Ke v&lub of property, that my property has . been valued at about 15 per cent. - more this year than it was valued, atJast year by the Council, and nearly cjent. per cent, more than it was'valued at by Mr. Clarke, and others have been similarly treated; yet the total amount that will > be;receivable "under this year's valuation, wjl| bo less than that received -last year: Why this thusness 1 I pause for a reply., v - I am, &c., .. 5 HIIXARIAN.