UP IN ARMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2832, 25 July 1916, Page 6

UP IN ARMS

PROPERTY-OWNERS' PROTEST

AGAINST RENT LEGISLATION

AN ASSOCIATION FORMED

There were about fifty property-owners present at a meeting held in. the Chamber of Commerce last evening, to protesti against tho provisions of the War Jjegis.lation 'Bill as they affect rents. Mr. E. Hunt was appointed chairman. Ho explained, in brief, that tho position, was that if a house was bringing in .El a week on August 3, 1911, that rent should stand until six mo'nths after the war, but if the rent should have been raised sinco the outbreak of war, the tenant shall have, under the Bill, power lo recover the extra amount he has beencharged, so that immediately on the Bill becoming law, every landloriT w7ib has raised the rent sinco the war started will at onco drop lijs rent to-what it was on August ;), 1911."'That was very plain. Mr;" V. Dimock thought jt.would be. best to discuss the matter fully, and then set up ;i. committee to go 'further into, the question, and prepare a comprehensive' report. As a .basis for discussion the chair-man proposed:— "That this meeting strongly objects to the. legislation as contained in'tli-o War Legislation Amendment Bill, on the ground that suc-h legislation is inequitable and unjust/'

This was seconded by Mr. S. Under- 1 wood, who said that on- none of his properties was he maliing more than 7 . pelcent. gross, not jnet, and with the ' increase ■iu price of material for Tepairs and labour, he could not see how tho Bill was- fair or equitable. The.v wore ail up against it, and they must raiso tho strongest objection to such an obviously unfair measure, and should make it clear to tho Government that the conditions should bo ameliorated so that at least a return of 6.per cent, net to'pro-perty-owners should be returnable. Mr. V. Jensen said that tho propertyowners were really the pioneers of the country. They were second only to the farmers, and it -was grossly .-unfair that after working and slaving all-their lives, to achieve' a. little, property, that the Government should step in and say that they must not make more than 5 per cent.,- when' everybody else was allowed to charge l'rom 10 to 200 per cent. .He instanced the fact that formerly they paid Id. for a box ( of matches, and today they had to pay lid. a increase of 50 per cent. It was,perfectly outrageous that the- Government should do this—tbey were the only people, to., be robbed, tliey, the pioneers of the try! It was perfectly outrageous. He had been here. for 43 years, and those poor people who came from his country (ho was a Dane), who arrived , hero 40 years ago, could not pay rent; they had to. live in tents. It was a set at tho 6mall property-owners. Why should not thoso who get .£1 or X!i a-..week escape ? I Why should it not apply' to tho big 6hops and warehouses?

Mr. T„ Dwnn thought it was not right to charge unreasonable rents to poor people, 'but speaking for. himself, his tir'ru had decreased their rents during the strike here, and in some cases had ivrittcn the rent olf altogether.. Ho thought, that a fail; return' should, be-provided on the capital'-value of'' properties. He was opposed to usurious 'rent charges during the war, but he, knew of many landlords who hifd charged. very little at all for rent to working people during the strike.. What was everybody's business was nobody's business, but this agitation had been' brought about by- a few who had nothing at stake, and ho proposed that they should arrange a big' deputation to wait, upon the Prime Minister. and place their views before him. He was- willing to sell his property to the Government at, 23 per cent., uudcr Government valuation, which would Eivo them a start in the business. Mr. Lawlor pointed out that the- Bill' exempted tlfe properties paying more than £2 a, week. Wli.T should-such properties -be exempt,, when smaller properties wore to be attacked. It was, in his opinion, a monstrous proposal Mr A. L. Wilson said that the Bill should be called the Unfair Rent Bill. If.', as a rent-collector and Teprescntft--tivo of somo ladies, and one who knew a little about property in Wellington, couM say that property' for rental purposes was tho poorest investment in Wellington.. It gave a return of about 5 per ceut.

Tho chairman: Three! ,' Mr. AVilson- thought it was about'five, tion ? airman * : What ' about deprecia-

Mr. Wilson: "Oh,' if .you rllott dcpre-' elation you would get nothing." (Laui»hFii ,f n they .were ; always being bothered to make repairs, and tho corporation inspectors called about twice a week to worry about things. Ho coruially supported the'resolution. ,wu J ' S»' ille y -thought that they should put specific instances as to the thit rnS "i P r °P° r ties. He also thought there should be a. sinking .fund of 2Jper cent', over and above the- return, for It there were a, wasting asset it was house propertv. On the motion- of Mr. Hector M'Lcod t -was decided that a deputation wait upon the Primo Minister. Mr. F; W. llooro said that the Government had decided that the propertyowners,, were an- unorganised ciasc, and were advancmg the Bill" to placate a fe\r agitators who did not know what they were talking about. . '""V™" ■ It 'was decided that Messrs. T. Dwan, k. Lambert, and ,T T Sation. PPOi^^thCSpCa^

Mr Boyd said that the farmers we T e the- backbone of the country, and the landlords were the backbone of the town It the Government persists/' he added] let us take it to the Supreme Court and knock tho bottom out of it ■" Mr. Baker said that the rents' tliev were now getting, were not nearly so lii»V as tliey were before the slump in Wel-

>( Mr. Merry said that if they were mugs enough to stand this Bill, they n-onW have a Fa.r Rent Bill, a „d later on they would liavo aNo Rent Bill. H 0 did not believe the tenants were at the back ot the Bill—it was someone oil.tho Oity Gouiicil. ■ ■

Mr. G. Lambert said now that .tliev saw- what associations 'could do,: wh'v should not the decent, respectable lautflorchs have an association, so that when a rotten tenant left a landlord coolin" his Jieels for his rent, he .should report that man to his association, so that others would not be left lamenting. This matter should not end in tho mcetin" but every man in tho room should hand ill his name as a member of a Property-'-Owners' Association. If they had such an association tliey could then sav to-tho plumber who overcharged that tliey wero ■members of tho association, and that-if the plumber overcharged they could say no would not be employed by members of the association, fllr. Lambert said that it would not bo ivise, he, thought, to allow agents to becomo members of snch an association. -

Mr. Lnmliert formally proposed that a Pi-operty-Qwnors' Association be formed. This was seconded by Mr. Jensen; After further discussion, the motion wati carried-.unanimously.' Mr. Hector' M'Leod was appointed as temporary secretary.' 1 The subscription was fixed at 10s. 6d. per annum. At tho, end of the meeting it was announced that the Prime Minister would receive a deputation at 11 a.m. ou Thursday.