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5. The number of floors reported and found vacant during the year averaged 120 per month compared with 1,373 per month last year, while the number of all classes of tenements each under one assessment reported and found vacant averaged 117 per month compared with 618 per month last year. Thus the total vacancies averaged 237 per month compared with 1,991 per month last year. (For December 1938 the total number of tenements and floors found vacant was 95 compared with 870 for December the previous year, (See graph No. 1). The reduction was due to the great influx of refugees from China.)
6. Throughout the year, refunds of rates were granted for vacant floors of tenements where the owners had elected at the last Re-valuation to obtain this concession.
7. The number of Interim valuations carried out during the year under review was 1,405 made up as follows:-
City of Victoria Rest of Colony No. Rateable Value $ No. Rateable Value $ New or rebuilt tenements and tenements structurally altered 440 987,174 532 640,026 Assessment cancelled, tenements resumed, pulled down or being in other respects not rateable 176 607,683 257 252,775 Number and Increase 616 379,491 789 387,251(See graph No. 2).
8. There was one prosecution during the year, the case being one in which a false return had been given in the Form 1. The defendant was found guilty and a fine of $500 was imposed.
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9. The following table shows a comparison of the total assessments for the years 1928-1929 to 1938-1939 and at the 31st December 1937 and the 31st December 1938:-
Year Rateable Value $ As compared with previous year Increase $ Decrease % 1928-1929 30,395,447 1929-1930 31,617,566 1,222,119 4.02 1930-1931 33,069,602 1,452,036 4.59 1931-1932 35,071,566 2,001,964 6.04 1932-1933 37,457,725 2,386,159 6.80 1933-1934 38,941,273 1,483,548 3.96 1934-1935 38,641,856 0.77 1935-1936 36,374,100 5.87 1936-1937 34,643,760 4.76 1937-1938 34,208,734 1.26 1938-1939 35,502,622 1,293,888 3.78 31st Dec. 1937 34,700,389 31st Dec. 1938 36,120,381 1,419,992 4.09(See graph No. 2).
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