THE CORPORATION LEASES.

Evening Star, Issue 3031, 6 November 1872, Page 2

THE CORPORATION LEASES.

To the Editor. Sir, —Your correspondent, 4! A Citizen,” in last night’s issue, ha?: pointed out some of the vagaries of our City Council respecting the Corporation leases now about to expire ; but there is another and still more iniquitous view of the question, which he appears to have overlooked, and that is, that, in addition to the undervalue put upon the buildings, there has been an overvalue upon the land, the object no doubt being either to force the present tenant to accept a fresh lease at the price fixed by the Corpoiation valuator, or surrender his buildings at such a sacrifice as will induce others to give the large ground rent in consideration of getting the buildings cheap ; but can such a course be considered as keeping faith with the present tenants ? The Mayor iq reported tq have said at a recent meeting of the Council, that the present tenants were not entitled to any leniency. I don’t think they are, or expect any ; but surely they are entitled to justice. And when they entered upon the present leases they did so in good faith, that they would be paid valuation for their buildings, such value to be determined by arbitration. Truo they have been sitting at very low rents

during the last ten years; but that is no reason why they should now be fleeced by the Corporation. When they entered into the leases, the ground rents were then considered to be very high; and what Mr Barnes is now pleased to designate “shanties,” were once considered handsome buiid-iiv-s. The action of the Corporation is sufficient to cause one to pause ere entering into a lease of any Corporation land, seeing how unscrupulously the spirit of the Icuvcs is being set aside and advantage taken of a technicality to wrong the trusting tenants. I am, &c., Not a Less mo.