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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2543, 1 March 1877, Page 2

The Judge of the Assessment Court commenced hearing the objections of ratepayers yesterday, and those under the Kauaeranga Highway Boai'd were disposed of. There were about a score of these, the greater part.being raised on the ground that the valuation of the properly was excessive. The .greater part of the objections raised were sustained and the business got through satisfactorily. There is one point we .cannot help saying a few words about. It is this. Some of the objectors appeared agaiu3t their rates being raised though they confessed they had improved their property,- on the ground that all such improve men ts had been effected by their own money or labor, and that it was unjust that they should pay for having been industrious. The judge explained to them that the law was, that they paid rates on what the value of the property actually was, either to sell or let at the time the valuator was making his valuation, totally regardless of what ie had been before. Thus a man might buy a piece of rough land worth £5 a, year, but should he build upon it and improve it, lay it out tastefully, &c, so that it might be worth £60 a yeir, he would have to pay rates on that estimate, although every penny of the expense had come out of his own pocket. The law seems hard in this way, that the improvements effected by the owner or occupier do not entail any greater expense to the Board, who probably do no more to the roads or pathways in front of the house than they would do if; the land were still an uncultivated waste; and it seems unjust to make a man pay because he wishes to improve his position. On the other

hand it must be remembered that money for the repair and formation of roads must be fortlicoming somehow, and that the mere fact of a man having a better house than another is taken as a proof that hoi can afford to pay more, and so not .having auy other means of gauging his wealth,*it is settled that the worth of the house or property be takeu as an index of his ability :rto pay. This is .certainly not ahanducement to men to improve their property, but for the present it is the law, and must be abided by.