RENTS FOR CITY LEASEHOLDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2405, 10 March 1915, Page 7

RENTS FOR CITY LEASEHOLDS

AN IMPORTANT MATTER.; ; Not a little surprise lias been expressed at the rents for Lambton leases, settled by a specially-appointed Arbitration Court, which sat towards the end of last year. It is known that in certain rases rents fixed by this Court were appreciably below wnat tenants had offered the council, and that in no oase were' they fixed in accordance with the carefully-calculated estimates of the corporation's officials. The outcome of the settlement is said to have disturbed more than one of the leaseholders who arranged renewals by agreement. Mr. S. Gilmer, lessee of tie Royal Oak Hotel, has written to the Mayor asking for a reconsideration of the rental fixed in the. case of that portion of the old Market Reserve on whioh the hotel is situated. The lessee expresses the opinion that, in the light of the recent valuation awards in connection with the Lambton leases, the valuations agreed to by him and Mr. James Ames (City Valuer) are excessive, and he therefore asks that the council review the position. Mr. Gilmer also refers to the building proposals he contemplated carrying, out in relation to the strip of land required by the council for street-widening purposes in Manners Street, opposite the Grand Opera House. This matter was to have _ been considered at yesterday's meeting of the Finance Committee, but owing to .the committee not being present in sufficient numbers it was decided to postpone consideration of Mr. Gilmer's letter and tile matter generally .until the next meeting of the committee.