ASSESSMENT COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 197, 22 June 1903, Page 4

ASSESSMENT COURT.

A bitting of the Assessment Court, , consisting of Messrs R. L. Stanford, , S.M. (chairman), " Ewen Campbell i (Wanganui), and Richard Price (Tara- ' naki, assessors, was held at the Court- , bouse on Thursday. . Mr G. F. C. Campbell appeared on behalf of the Valuer-General, and with him Mr 8. Hill, local Government valuer. (Continued from Friday's istue.) , FRANKLEY KOAD DISTRICT. H. Okey objected to the valuation on his homestead section. Mr Okey said he could not say he came before the Court with any confidence. He had brought out in evidence that his late value was not fair ' but got no consideration, and the feeling of the farmers was that they were ' Hot getting proper consideration from the Court, fie had between £IO,OOO and £12,000 worth of property, and ' ■was net objecting to the total valua- ' tion but to the distribution, and ' though he did not suppose he had any ' chance he would put his case before ' the Court. He then went into details ' as to the cost of the improvements on the section. The unimproved value he put at £5 an acre. During the past ' year he had made considerable improvements, but no notice was taken of tills bat the unimproved value was ' put up. This was what he objected to. . He thought his objection was reason- , able, and the Court was here to hear it ! and see justice done to him as well as ! to the Government. To Mr Campbell: My improvements are valued at£l7B7 10s. Objector then detailed at great length the improvements made and the value of them. He put the unimproved values of the sections at £5 10s and £4 per acre. After further examination objector said: "I tell you I do not object to the total valuation." Mr Campbell: "But I do, and I want it put up." Mr Okey: " Then you cannot depend on your own valuer ?" Mr Campbell: "He has put it too low, evidently to please you." To the Court: Besides very considerable improvements during the last, few years only last year it cost him £2O for noxious weeds. Mr Campbell said they could not consider that. Mr Hill gave evidence of sales in neighbouring distsict. He bad only slightly raised the improvements, but after hearing Mr Okey's evidence he thought he should have made them higher. To Mr Campbell: Did not consider -the noxious weeds lowered the value as Mr Okey always kept them down. To Mr Okey: Have visited the property, but did not go all over it. You are only pulling straws: Mr Okey: That may be, but I am going to make a fight for justice, any way. Considerable argument took place regarding an exchange of sections which Mr Okey said was an unfair comparison, as both places were valued bigh for the purposes of the exchange. He -and others wanted to live in the district, if they were not valued out of it. Mr Campbell contended that the whole value should be increased. He held the Court could not consider the question of noxious weeds. Mr Okey said the farmers did not bring the noxious weeds, but had to spend money to keep them down or they must affect values. The Court said the valuation would be sustained in every particular. The Court wished to say that it regarded Mr Okey's remark that the farmers bad nojeonfidence in the Court as being altogether uncalled for. Mr Okey: Thank you, your Worship. OMATA DISTRICT. H. T. Wood objected to valuation put on 141 acres in the Omata district. Mr T. S. Weston appeared for the objector. The objector stated that he had been charged £2OO for new improvements while he had only spent £lO on fencing. He also objected to the unimproved value £IOOS as excessive. The land was very broken, in fern, and had not been ploughed for 20 years.. There was swamp on part sec 10. He bought most of the land at £9, and some he gave £8 for. There was nothing to warrant an increase of £ls. He had b°en offered 10s as a rental. He would rake the Government capital value of his property if he wanted to sell. After a good deal of evidence, and after hearing Mr S. Hill, the Court decided to reduce the valuation by £3 an acre, half to come off the improved and half off the unimproved value. HENUI DISTRICT. J. Hawken objected to uuimproved value on land in Henui Road District. The value was sustained. This completed the business.