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To compare the preparation of the present list with that of five
years ago, it should be borne in mind that 43,016 rateable hereditaments
have been dealt with instead of 40,692, and that out of the number of
forms of return served on these hereditaments 35,534 were received
back as against 31,898 in 1885. On the other hand, the number of
assessments increased in value was 5,671 as against 8,043 at the last
Quinquennial Valuation, so that in that respect the labor has been
slightly reduced.
In order that the members of the Vestry should be able to form an
idea of the clerical work involved in the preparation of the list, it is
necessary to go into details, and the following facts are therefore submitted:—
In February last a skeleton Valuation List containing 42,955 entries
was prepared from the Rate books then in force, and during the same
month an equivalent number of forms (supplied by the Inland Revenue
Department, pursuant to the Valuation (Metropolis) Act of 1869) were
addressed, numbered, and served, each form being numbered for and
served upon a separate rateable hereditament in the Parish.
Of these forms 35,534 were as before stated, received back in the
shape of Returns, the contents of which were, as they came in, abstracted
in the skeleton list before referred to.
When this preliminary work, which was carried out by the Collectors
was completed, the Board of Assessors sat from day to day to compare
the Returns received with the present gross values, and, with the
assistance of the Collectors, and the extraneous information possessed by
themselves, or where necessary, obtained by viewing the property,
determined the gross values to be inserted in the new Lists. The Board
were thus occupied during a considerable portion of the fifteen days
they sat for the purpose.
The class was then determined in accordance with the third
schedule to the Valuation of Property (Metropolis) Act, 1869, and the
rate of deduction per cent., together with the rateable value of each
hereditament, calculated and entered in the draft List, the hereditaments
which had been increased in value being at the same time ticked, in
order that the notices required by the before-mentioned Act might be
duly prepared and served upon the property.0