GOVERNMENT VALUATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81836, 31 August 1906, Page 2

GOVERNMENT VALUATIONS.

| CONSTITUTION OF THE COURT On Wednesday nig'tt Mr Kirkbridc moved the second read'ng of tlyHiN. lie said that there W as much dissatisfaction thrftujfhoyt the c: untry at thy high valuations made. TIIO Ku-mcr was greatly handicapped bv having- to meet so many Government I'tncials arrayed against him. Under the present system the Valuation Court was one sided, and the farming community shrank from it. The proper remedy was to give the owners representation according to the principle adopted in the Compensation Courts. The valuers always managed to keep tho objectors from going into Court, fhey never spent euotigh time over their wc»rk of valuation, and they unduly boomed the values. I hey valyerj the ( ~0 0(] an( , bad iliey declared they bad no instruc- ! 01 ' s - | ' IP proper remedies were classification of the lands and the exemplification of the system of va'u'"g. Aoove all things, the va'uers should not be allowed to ask owners II t .ley would accept the values p'aced on their lands. As a remedv, the Bill simply proposed to give' local . cllcs "'C Power to appoint one c f tlie, assessors of tho Court. The Minister of Lands said he did not intend to oppose the Bill. He li'-: -con enquiring inf. the rnauer, Preparec| a scheme exactly ™ the hues of the lym. gentleman's mil, \\meh tho present law permits. !" s pari he wrmd have pref ned to give the appointment of < no as-se-.sor to the owner, , nlt fo(]nd i" dilficthty so great that he fell bade (n the local bodies, as the hon gent.enian had done. The instructions to the valuers W re not to follow the last sales, at which va'ues were bo nned up unduly, but to u m . Mdcr all the sa'es of which li.ts supplied. He deh'iid d t|„. practice f va u,i, s - o„ value. The valuations, he felt sure, were nowhere excessive. Mr Mass,.,- fo um l the Minister's ■Matenienl fairly saiisfacf ry. 11,. rl> : d rsed every! lung H,,. member for M;m;ikariji;icl f>ard. including IV',-siippo-i-d t'-e niii, wa , lead a second lime on the voices.