The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-04
GLs G~ntelEgerrer
.GRIFPITm,s YALuATlON.n

The Term That Is NOW Tstd So Exlen.
DiVeIy In Connection with the IFISh
Agitation,
Aubrey Whiisin the Toronto Cam GlUba,
Since the commencement OF the war be-
tween landlord and tenant in Ireland we
have heard a great deal about "Grifith's
valuation" and l have found very few
who had any correct idea Of the object
Of that valuation, or its nature, As an I'M
derstanding Of 1t is necessary in order to
form an equitable judgment on the fair
meas Of the tenants claim to pay rent
according to that valuation, / thought |
would ask sufficient space 10 explain its
nature and object; and in doing 80 ! make
no claim to do more than tTanscribe the
views OF a gentleman who understands
the whole matter.
The survey commenced In the County
OF Derry, in 1926, 1t was intended to be
the basis OF future tsxes-countY, cess,
poor raie, and all other State taxes that
nav arise.
The maps gotten out were as nearly per
feet as possible, were or q six inch scale,
and contained county, barOny, parish,
townlands, names, acreage, owners, cities,
towns, demesnes, farms, runs, collieries,
forges, limekilns, tanneIies, bleach green's,
wells, roads, canals, bridges, locks, weiEs,
hogs, churches, and every cabin, etc.
There we're lines even to mark the fall oil
the water and the curvature OF the land.
Griffith divided his Valuators into two
classes-ordinary valuAtors and check val
uRtors; the duty Of the latter was to fol,
low the former into every district and
patch, to dig and examine, no matter how
small, 10 test the accuracy Of the ordinary
~Valuators, and 10 alter the valuations II
necessary. ,Valuators were bound to ex'
anime upper and under soil, oil was 10 be
valued al It's agricultural worth; eleva'
lions above the level OF the sea, steepness,
exposure to bad winds, barrenness, patch.
mess, bad roads, bad fences, all things
which would d~epreciate and cause q re-
duction in value. On the other hand,
limestone, turf, seaweed and other ma.
nurss, good roads, climate, shelter, and
convenience to good market towns were
also taken into account, and the valuation
increased accordingly.
Soils were divided into four GLASSES
First, argillaCcous; second, sillCeOus
third, calciferous; fourth, peaty, In other
words, Clayey, sandy, limy, peAty, ETC..
These four ClassGs were, for practical
purposes, subdivided still further! The
argIllaCeous was divided into three varie.
Ties clay, clay loan, and alluyial clay.
The s%iliCeous has three varielies-lime'
stone, limestone gravel, and mari. The
peaty two varieties-moor and bog.
The instructions were strict, varied and
extensive; but 1t would be quite impossi'
bic 10 condense them sufficiently for the
columns Of q newspaper. The heads Ol
the principal tests on the foregoing were
as follows; Stiff was defined as a soil con.
tanning more than ono.hall OF tenacious
clay; In dry weather this sort Of soil cracks
and forms into Jumps, quite hard, particu'
larry so II wrought wet. There not being
space 10 define the others, l will give them
In proper order; Arabic, strong, deep,
shalloR, dry, wet, sharp, fine, soft, cold,
sandy, graVelly, slsty, worn, poor hum
CRY.
what the authority have quoted says as
to the valuation. He goes on to say that
the valuation being IS accurate az fsllible
man could make, he does not gee-lt be-
ing the basis Of all State taxes-whY II
should not be Of the rent.