Assessment Court.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 923, 5 March 1881, Page 5

Assessment Court.

The Assessment Court for Cook County was held at Ormond, yesterday, before Mr. M. Price, R.M., Judge. There were fifty-four objections, most of the objectors being in attendance. The total amount of the valuations by the valuer was £41,280, this amount was reduced by £2,585 14s ; but of this amount £622 10s was struck out by reason of the land rated having reverted to Native owners. His Worship indulged in a little satire at the expense of the objectors. He said he had often heard of the valuable land of Poverty Bay, but when the owners were called upon to state the value of the land they said it was worth only £7 or £8 per acre. One objector had 300 acres of thistles, which he offered the valuer £2 per acre to clear for him. This surely ought to be a Chance for the unemployed. Others had from 300 to 800 acres, on which they had lived twelve months, and had done nothing to improve it His Worship considered they had a happy life of it; no drain ■ ing, clearing, or fencing, and the land finding the occupier in the necessaries of life. The Court sat from 10 a.m., until 8 p.m., having only half-an-hour for lunch out of the whole time, and the ratepayers may be thankful; that so patient and careful a Judge occupied the Bench, for no point escaped his attention. —[Comm unicated].