8i 



feeling it would be impossible to pass an Act that would make it 

 compulsory all round. The cities would be against it, but if it 

 were made so that it were optional with municipal districts then 

 such districts as Rutherglen and Great Western and Goulburn 

 Viilley would feel the pinch of the shoe and adopt the principle, 

 and gradually other places would adopt it. 



Mr. BucKLBT thought it was necessary to speak on the subject. 

 It seemed to be forgotten that the valuations were often made 

 the basis of bank advances to land-owners, and if the valuations 

 were reduced so as to bring vineyards down to- the value of grass 

 land he could say from experience, for he had had applications 

 for the improved value for the purposes of advance, if the valua- 

 tion was. reduced from £1,000 to £100 the chance would be 

 reduced of the owner getting an advance. At the present time 

 vignerons used the roads more than stock raisers or growers of 

 cereals, and if a distinction were made what would be done ? Throw 

 other people into the industry and swamp out those in it at 

 present. If an advantage were given to the vine-grower over 

 the cereal grower, it would.be an inducement to others to go 

 into it. 



Mr. Williams thought it would be quite right to do so. 



Mr. BuCKLET did not think §o, unless provision was made for 

 them. It would not attain the object intended, for if, in a district 

 like Rutherglen, in the course of time the rates dropped off the 

 vineyards, they would fall on the other land held by the same 

 people. The municipalities would not reduce the total rates, and, 

 if they had to raise the same revenue, they must raise it from 

 grass land, and the same people who had it struck off vines 

 would have it put on their grass land. 



Mr. Williams said that in no instance in his district would 

 the banks or financial institutions make any advance on the 

 improved value — they took the average value for the district. 



Mr. Irvine said he never knew a case where the banks went 

 beyond the face value of the land. He had a small block of land 

 just in the township, and some time ago he was speaking to 

 another gentleman who had between 7,000 and 8,000 acres, and 

 paid between £7 and £9 in rates on land which he admitted 

 was worth ten times more than his (Mr. Irvine's), and for which 

 he paid £17 on his small block, so that the other man was getting 

 the benefit of his labour. 



Mr. P. DB Ca STELLA thought that, suppose a gentleman 

 holding, say, 5 acres of land chose to have an orange grove on it, 

 he should not be taxed any more than a man with the same 

 acreage of land who had only thistles on his land. 



Mr. F. DE Castella said they had to pay a tax on the 

 improved value of the land, and also a tax to combat the phylloxera. 

 He thought the tax should be reduced. 

 6318. ^ 



