THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1902. GOVERNMENT VALUATION OF WAIMATE BOROUGH.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 198, 3 May 1902, Page 3

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1902. GOVERNMENT VALUATION OF WAIMATE BOROUGH.

In our issue of Tuesday last we drew attention to the manner in which the Government valuation of the borough had beer - ;id out, and pointed tosonds .-« anomalies. Further enquiries show that the valuer has a curiors conception o£ our 4ocal coudi- j tions. So far as we .have beenable to ascertain the valuation of the central part of the town is fair enough, but elsewhere it is eccentric and high. (For instance, limit in Shearman afreet is valued at £IOO an acre, While three attests farther oaclfl in Bhodes ......1 / 1 I , f/j I iA - j/ji- 1 A, 1

street, the same ruluf; is maintained, and we know <>!.' a coiner section between tlitfS' 1 points (,n

which » lower valuation is placed. Thou again a section wi'h a nano-,7 frontage on High street above the town belt is valued at £l4O an acre, while less than £IOO is placed on land in the same block, but nearer the centre of the town. We hear of £BO an aero being placed on back street sections, away down near the eastern boundary of the town. The hardship is that poor people have practically no remedy. A man with a quarter acre section , worth £ls but vahml at £lO more has to consider if it will pay him to object. On a rate of 3d in the £, he will be obliged to pay 2s 6d more than his fair share of the borough rates. If he attends court in support of his objection he must lose half, or more likely a whole day's wages. He is therefore obliged to bear the excessive local rate while his rich neighbour, who found it worth while to see to hia valuation, is rated on bed-rock values. It is a mistake, however, to allow the valuation to go unchallenged in any case where it is considered excessive, for it may happen that the valuation authorities will allow the objection or make a reduction before the court sits. If the objector is unable to appear he will be no worse off than if he allowed the.valuation to go without demur. We would remin 1 intending objectors that fornix can be obtained at the Waimate Post Office and lhat th«ir objections must be posted in time for Monday's express at the latest in order to bo in Christchurch by the 6th inst, as required by the Supervising Valuer.