The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 1903. LAND VALUATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 249, 18 November 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 1903. LAND VALUATIONS.

The Valuation Court and everything connected with it has come in for some very hard knocks during the past year, and especially during the last session of Parliament. At the last sitting of the Assessment Court in Now Plymouth Mr Harry Okey informed the Bench that it did not possess the confidence of the public, a statement which the S.M. promptly characterised as a piece of uncall-ed-for "impertinence. There have been a great many remarks passed at meetings of Farmers' Unions throughout the colony to tlie saiue effect. Now Mr J. G. Wilson, of Bulls, has written to the New Zealand Times a letter which contains in a small space the chief qbjoctions to the constitution of the Assessment Court. Formerly the S.M. sat alone as judge. There were many objections to this, and Parliament in its wisdom thought it 'expedient that fwp Assessors should be appointed tc> git with the S.M. The Court, is now composed pt the S.M. and two assessors appointed by the Oovernlnent, and Mr Wilson very fairly summarises the objection to such a P.ourt, and advocates the adopfiqn P'f Mr Kirkbri'de's 'suggestion to al(p>y fin assessor sitting on the Valuation Court, to be appointed by t.iie local authorities or the districts, go as to some extent to represent file owners. After showing the unusual character of the present arrangement he goes on : "When, nowever, we come to the Assessment Court for ' the purpose of hearing objections against thu of land, we find tThftt tlie Court consists' of the Stipendiary Magistrate and two assessors, both appointed by the Government against, whose valuation an owner is appealing. All three members of the Court are appointed and paid by one party to the suit." And after some further comments he soys, "I f"u gHis the Peparfonent wishes to administer the Act fairly, although here agalm I may be aware of some difference of opinion, but every meeting of the Farmers' Unions, n's far as I know, has siro«gly objected to the Government appointing ifs own Court entirely, So much ro that you constantly hoar the expression what is the good of objecting, the Court won't listen. Surely if

such a • feeling were widespread among those who come in contact with the Court, and whose interests ere vitally affected by it tl-ci'e must f>f?" fjmiWtWfljf w l- 0«g with the prerent constitutigfl." fwrthw |j©os on to suggest that BOmo member of tho Assessment Court should l.e nppointed 'by the local authorities. Thris synopsis of the objection lodgflC) 'is fig fair find well stated that we take Mr Wt|g6'ri'"ft? 'PWbg' ft"tp«p" representative of objectoi'B to the present Courts. But what would happen were his suggestion adopted' is that the assessor appointed by '.he Government would, if Mr Wilson's suggestion jp cpjTeot, votg for sus-t-aiiTing-' ting Government yftiu'atii)ii. while tho othpr assessor appointed by the local authority would vote for reducing the valuation to suit the objecting farmers' requirements. If something like this does not take place the whole force and objection of his valuation disappears. The result of such a Court as he would be a reversion to the old state of things, leaving the deeis'osi of the matter entirely to the ihin! mcpibttr, thp Stipendiary Magistrate, The trut'h we beileve to >e this—that the objectors really ib'ject, though they do not know it, lot so much to the constitution of ;-he Court as to the principle on Vhich JaTld is valued under the Act. Phe fanner tlustius his land to lip egimated on the productive value, .virile the Act says it is to be i-sti-fivated on the selling value. This atter is a matt f mere evidence.

titter is a matter i Land brokers and commission agent give evidence as to the price tun tiguous lands have been sold for,in, the farmer says that it is riot fair because some Jay conies more money than brains and gives . fancy price for the next farm, ilia he should have Iris rates and (axe: permanently raised. If the selling value is to be retained as the unil of measurement, then we think tin Stipendiary Mf)B'is(,i- a ta liy himseli is more likely to come to a (rut conclusion than any fanners, however appointed. If, however, the productive value is to be substituted in the Act for the selling value, t hen expert farming l -advice is absolutely essential to enable the Court to conic to a right conclusion. We suggest to the objectors to the present Valuation Courts that they should In-ntl all their energies to getting the Act altered by the substitution of productive for selling value. Such a change would effect exactly whut llie farmers desire, fine! would be far mora desirable thaii any more change m the conet'ituHon of the Ouu-t

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. If Parliament was, with some show . of justice, charged with laziness am] waste of time during the early portion of the session, it has certainly now taken upon its shoulders a load of legislation that will leave little • space for idling. The Public Works Statement "has just been submitted, and the scramble for Jogves and fishes will occupy the attention of membei s for soitio time t>o cop 6 ami at the back of the Statement looms large the contentious Preferential and Reciprocal Trade Hill, introduced by the Right Hon. the Premier. The delivery of the Statement on Monday evening relieved th« anxiety prevailing in many quarters that a serious curtailment of Public Works expenditure would Jollow the hint given by the Colonial Treasurer in his Budget speech. However, it will be seen that HQ very serious curtailment has bona foreshadowed, though votes have been cut down somewhat in various departments. The total vote lust year for Public Works purposes amounted to £1,853,000, of which £1,514,444 was expended. This year it is proposed to vote £l,7S!;>.'J62, exclusive of £39,353 for works under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act. Votes for railway construction have in most cases been increased. The Main Trunk lino is to 'be pushed ahead steadily, and it is proposed to allocate for (his purpose £200,000. The Midland Hailway received Jast year £39,25-1, and this year the vote is increased to £70,000. The Otago Central aipo receives £70,000, as against £40,585 spent last year, and teveral less important works will be voted increased amounts. The allocation of of such a paltry sum for the Stratford—Wliangamonioiva line will, however, not fail to cause dissatisfaction in Taranuki, It is indeed strange that Government should be so blind to the importance of this work as to proceed with the construction .of the line with such dilatoi'inoss. Last year but £ll,BlO was spent, and this year the insignificant sum of £IO,OOO is asked for The residents of Taranaki have made strong representations to Government as to the necessity of pushing on the work, and in the face of the knowledge Government must ' have that the development of the district is being stifled and undue ' hardships being placed on the set- i tiers, it is inexplicable that such an injustice should be committed. The first six miles of the line between I Stratford cost, we believe , ,000, so it may be reckoned that , only two or three miles will be put < under «>iietruitio» this jjeap, At

the present rate of progress it will take about twenty years to reach Wh'an'g'amomona. The (! o'vermnqnfc has taken a wise step, however, in providing for a line to Mount Egrriont stone deposits, and , the whole pioxinco will benefit from 'the undertaking. The grant for roads ami bridges will this year be £407,430, as against £227,184 last year: Provision has also been made for the improvement of hospital and asylum accommodation, tourist audi health resorts, awl in various other •directions. Taken as a whole the Statement may be considered satisfactory, as it has «ot disclosed the financial weakness so confidently predicted by tiie opponents of the present Administration, and it proves that the resources of the colony are sufficient to meet all demands if administered with sound judgment and economy.