RUINOUS LAND VALUATIONS.

Shannon News, 14 November 1922, Page 3

RUINOUS LAND VALUATIONS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—At Mr Field’s Weraroa meeting on Monday, of which a brief report appears in to-day’s Chronicle, a question was asked by myself concerning the new and quite ruinous valuation lor taxation purposes, which now exist. I said.it was reported that Horowhenua County valuations were the highest in all New Zealand. I then asked the chairman’s permission to make a declaration as follows—that if we fanners could get, as our income, 5 per-cent interest on these valuations, it would'pay us better to throw up our farms than to struggle on. My reason for writing is, that this declaration of mine was misreported, and I was made to say that a 5 per cent reduction of present valuations would give us relief. Nothing dess than an all-round reduction of 25 peir cent would be worth either asking for or accepting, and we should demand this revaluation if we are to live. What makes this new high-flying valuation a matter of life or death to us financially is, firstly, the great increase it means in our land tax; and, secondly, that which has come to us as a staggering surprise, the immense increase in local taxation. I predict a panic when the County rate notices are served out. The total, valuation of our county is increased by two million pounds sterling, in round figures. The general rate is not reduced accordingly, but remains at a penny in the £. In other words, our county authorities are taking two million .more pennies, which come to £8333, from us this year, than they collected last year. ; By what wild extravagance, or mismanagement or misfortune has this state of things come about? I suggest one explanation: We farmers are being bled white to provide excellent roads- for a destructive, road devouring motor traffic, giving, free .of cost, to the motorist every facility to compete with and beat our railways—the Railway Department showing a steady and growing loss, a national loss to be

miade good by the deluded man on the land, in added burdens of taxation.— I am, etc., W. G. ADKIN. Levin, November 9.