The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1884.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4807, 5 June 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1884.

In response to a request made by the ißorougb, through the Town Clerk, the Property Tax Assessment Department yesterday forwarded to the Thames a copy

of its valuation roll for the Borough. The object of obtaining this roll was to ascertain the financial result, were the Borough to adopt the valuation and rating system provided by the Property Tax Assessment Act. It will be remembered that some few meetings ago Cr Eilgour tabled a motion Laving for its object the adoption of the roll in question for Borough rating purposes, and in a recent article dealing with such proposal, we endeavored to point out that carrying it would entail a loss of nearly fifty per cent, of Borough rates—a loss which it would be idle to suppose or assert that the body is in a position to sustain. Wo instanced two properties : one a business site and building in a main street, and the other a private house and premises in a less populous locality. We then pointed out that the valuation put upon them by the Borough Valuer was—considering the income derived from them in the way of rent —very reasonable. Upon perusing the roll forwarded by the Government de. partment, we find that the cases quoted by us are notonly verified, but a much heavier loss to the Borough revenue is further shown. Wo have gone through the divisional totals of this valuation roll, and have been more than surprised to see that such a proposal) as that made should have come in all seriousness fronrso practical a man as Cr Kilgour, • without his first acquainting himself with the result of it, which we must—in justice to him—believe he could not have done, or his notice of motion would not have been given. We wilj, in a somewhat brief manner, show the result to be attained by adopting the method of rating proposed, and then leave it to the common sense of our Councillors to decide whether ornot our previous and present contentions are correct, and whether, placed as they (the Councillors) are, in an administrative position, with serious responsibilities thereto attached, they can in recognising the trusts reposed in them, fly in the face of reason, judgment, and plain black and white, curtail the Borough revenue, which is now in allconscience low enough, and certainly not even adequate to supply all the municipal wauts. From an examination of the roll sent, which is of course open to inspection by every ratepayer, we cull the following figures :—North Ward : Government value under Act, £37,074; this, at three farthings in the pound, means an income in the way of rates of £115 17s 2d, as against what we maintain to bo a fair and equitable lax of one shilling in the pound on the annual value set down, viz., £6784, producing for general rate one shilling in the pound, £339 4s. In the Middle Ward the property tax value is £88,566, yielding •a tax of £276 15s 4d, as against the Borough valuation of £10,870, with the corresponding shilling rate . producing £543 10s, or nearly 100 per cent, more than that obtainable under the Property Tax. The same arguments may be applied to the South Ward, where the same principle allows the Borough to receive under the Property Tax rate £267 10s for a capital valuation of £85602, and £468 odd under the system now existent on an annual Talue of £9366. The figures quoted show that were the valuation proposed to be adopted by Cr Kilgour accepted, a loss of over halfi-ho present revenue, or about £700 per annum, would be sustained by the Borough, and that it cannot stand, nor can it be reasonably expected that it should. In analysing the figures we have been certainly elastic in allowances, for instance, about £15,000 worth of Church property is included in the Property Tax return, which is allowed to escape taxation by the Borough, and the Big Pump and other goldfields property is also rated by the Property Tax, but not by the Borough, so that when a comparison is made between the usual system of valuation and that proposed to be adopted, still further loss occurs to the Borough. Taken altogether it does not require a very talented financier to come to the conclusion that the proposal made to adopt the Govern ment valuation is thoroughly impracticable, and unless with a desire to further lower our status as a Borough, no such movement should be entertained seriously for one moment.