FARM LAND VALUATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1069, 5 September 1930, Page 8

FARM LAND VALUATION

N.Z. SYSTEM ATTACKED “INEQUITABLE TAXATION” Press Association PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Thurs. Exception was taken by Mr. D. Jones (Reform—Mid-Canterbury) to the system of land valuation in New Zealand when the statement on the transactions of the Valuation Department was submitted to the House today, lie asserted that some farmers -were valued at tho rate of £2 a sheep, while others were valued at the rate of £l4 a sheep, and he contended that the effect of the system was to make taxation inequitable. Many farmers were paying on a basis that vras brutally unfair, while others were escaping without paying their fair share. The Acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, all members were anxious that the primary producers should be enabled to carry on under reasonable conditions. In arriving at the valuations it was important that consideration should be given to country rates and how they had been brought about, how far individual owners had contributed and how far they had had to expend capital to bring their land into a state of productivity. Other Reform members protested against the valuation system, Mr. Wj H. Field (Reform—Otaki) contending that the men employed as valuers were often incompetent. Mr. H. G. Dickie (Reform —Pa tea), however. differed from this opinion. H® attributed all the difficulties to faults in the system. Mr. R. W. Hawke (Reform—Kaiapoi) also protested against the method of valuation on the ground that it was not based on the productive value of the land. He stated that there were many instances in Canterbury where tlxe values placed on the land were too high, simply because some buyer had paid a pnee that was not warranted, but. was accepted by the Assessment Court as a basis for valuing land in that particular district. Mr. A. W. Hall (Reform —Haurakih stated that the position as outlined by Air. Hawke was not confined to Canterbury. Mr. IT. AT. Rush worth (Country Party—Bay of Islands), advocated the adoption of equitable principles of valuation that were in use in other progressive countries. It seemed to him that there was nee broad principl e underlying the system in New Zealand. Air. K. S. Williams < Reform— Bay of Plenty), said the real value of the country land was what it would produce. He did not think there would ever be satisfaction until an even basi=> of this nature was reached.