Warea News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 138, 15 June 1904, Page 2

Warea News.

iFroin our Correspondent, y The following resolutions wcce passed at the meeting at TTarea on June < th, to consider valuation matters : lhat this meeting wishes to represent that tho difference allowed by the Land Act between cush and deferred payment land was 25 per cent and considers that as recent sales have been made with little or no cash passing, the same allowance should Ijo made at this time, and suggests that a reduction of ihut amount should be made on the slated unimproved values ; that this meeting is strongly of opinion" that the present method of assessing unimproved value is most unfair 16 occupiers of land, ami pledges itself to do its utmost to secure an alteration so that money raised and spent collectively to make and maintain roads, build dairy factories, public hulls, and other public conveniences, shall bo credited to improved and not unimproved values, as at present ; that this meeting, having heard the explanation of Messrs Campbell and Hill (valuers), considers thenis a grave defect in the 1003 amendment to tho Government Valuation ol Land Act. IS!).',, i„ that Clause f; does not recognise that commercial improvements, which have hern paid for by the settlers, and which have produced a so-called unimproved value to the land, belong to the holders thereof. The meeting requests (he delegate to the New Zealand Fanners' Union to bring this matter prominently forward at the Colonial Conference at Wellington, with n view to such on alteration of the act us will allow full value (as improvements') to lie given for all improvements made by them whether actually on Ihe land or collectivelv for (he benefit thereof.

The Assessment. Court has sat nntl delivered its judgment, and verv few are bmelitcd thereby. Surely' this ought to help tho farmers ttci unite, as individual protests are evidently no good, until the present Land Valuation Act is amended. Thev must not wait until 'the next valuation is made. They should net now. and every member of the New Zealand Fanners' Union should try to Increase the membership of his branch. If this is done there is not much lear that when the valuer next appears he will have different instructions from those in vogue .at present.