LAND VALUES.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1921, Page 5

LAND VALUES.

QUESTION OF TAXES AND RATES. EFFECT OF RECENT VALUATIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Some statements of general interest regarding land valuations and rates levied thereon were made by the act-ing-Prime Minister in reply to a deputation to-day. The deputation referred to the effect of valuations recently made, and asked that the Government should make tax«s and rates payable on the old valuations. It was contended that owners of properties, the valuation of which is now in process of alteration, would have a better chance of securing reductions than those whose valuations were completed before the drop in the price of produce set in, and such owners would therefore have an advantage over others.

Sir Francis Bell pointed out that revaluations were continually being made, generally at the request of a local authority. Once made a re-valuation became fixed automatically. To hold over re-valuations recently was not within his power, and if it were it would not be just to those districts in which valuations had been made last year. He did not agree that the objectors now would have a better chance of securing reductions than last year. The only possible remedy was for those who had the right to do so now to object, and for Parliament to consider whether there ought to be a reduction this year in land tax and in rates to an amount which would bring 1 their taxation down to the basis of the valuations of, say, four years ago. He anticipated, however, that if such legislation were proposed, every local authority in New Zealand would be at the throat of the Government. He promised that the Government would considei the matter and see if it were possible to devise some method of proposing legislation next session.