LAND VALUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1919, Page 4

LAND VALUATION.

OF LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Sept. 3. The question of Hie over-valuation of land taken by the Government for settlement purposes was raised by Sir J. G. Firidlay in the House, In the Soldiers Settlement Act, of 1916, it was provided that the method of valuation should be that employed under the Public Works Act, where a claim for compensation was heard by a tribunal, before which evidence as to the value of the land was considered. This led to a species of conspiracy, said Sir John Findlay, all the large landowner* who were likely to be affected by similar claims combining to have a high valuation put upon land so acquired. He inquired from the Prime Minister whether it would not have been better to have taken advantage of the clause of the Lands for Settlement Act, 1908, under which the value was determined by the valuation roll. Mr. Massey explained that it had been found that the clause referred to by Sir John Findlay did not prevent land being valued at an extravagant figure, lii ordor to prevent hardship, for the purpose of the Lands for Settlement Act, there had been instituted a secret valuation roll; on which the value placed on the land by the owner was recorded. On this valuation the owner paid his land tax, though not his rates. It had been found as a matter of experience that owners often placed an extravagant, value upon their lands, paying Ihe land tax upon the sum cheerfully for the sake of obtaining the extra price if it became a matter of the Government acquiring the land. After careful consideration, it had been decided that the method instituted by the Public Works Act* was preferable for determining the value of land corapulsorily acquired for the purpose of the settlement of discharged soldiers.