THE LAD THE LADIES. AND THE LIFT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 1 June 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE LAD THE LADIES. AND THE LIFT.

So large a proportion of ihe London population lives in "Flatland"' that cases throwing- light on the rights and responsibilities of the occupyuts of mansions attract much attention As a rule the tenants arc a good deal at the mercy of the proprietor, the porter, and the page, and not infrequently have to put up with slovenly and not too civil service and much inconvenience without being able to obtain redress. But at last a lady has been found bold enough to defy her landlord and to defeat him in the law courts. Other oppressed tenants will take heart of grace in consequence.

The. lady was Miss Edith Douglas Lane, who took from Mr E. Midgley a flat in Harewood Place, Hanover Square. The rent was £250 a year, and she was to pay 14/ a week extra for servants, and to pay for meals in the restaurant at the tariff prices. Tt was represented to her that she would have, all the advantages of a first-class hotel, with the privacy of a private residence. But hope told a flattering tale. When she was fairly established she found dirty plates, no hot water, and a rude and dirty little pag-V^.iy. who took her lady visitors up in he lift with the coals. Finding that she never could get into hot water at Ihe flat she determined to run the risk of getting into hot water by leaving it. She threw up the tenancy, shook oil' the dust of her feet and the coals on the mansions, and not only refused to pay any rent after she departed bt;t haO. the hardihood when Mr M'dgley sued her for a quarter's rent to counterclaim for damages for the expenses she had incurred in decorating ihe rooms and in removing- from her former residence.

On Friday last Mr Justice Mathew and a special jury derived a good deal of amusement in hearing the tale of a flat unfolded.

Miss Lane explained that only once had she succeeded in getting- a hot bath; the. plates and things were often dirty, and her maid had to wash them in an empty flat opposite in a pail. In place of a hall porter there was only a diminutive page (not more than a paragraph in fact), who had to do the dirty work, take up the coals and clean the boots. He never had time to put on his uniform, but used to wear a dirty little flannel jacket. So attired he used to take up visitors with the coals in the lift, and she herself had "gone up with the coals." In cross-examination, she said that the caretaker once informed her that if she let the water run for threequarters of an hour she would get hot water.

Sir Edward Sullivan, a former tenant, who expressed his dissatisfaction at the arrangements, was insidiously asked, "The hot water was occasionally wrong?" "No," was his reply, "occasionally the hot water was right."

Miss Lane's maid corroborated her mistress's evidence, and explained that the latter's fox terrier, which the landlord endeavoured to set off against the hot water, had never made any dust when it came in from the street, as she always wiped its feet. Dr. McHardy, who took the flat for Miss Lane, impeached both the hot water and the page, who, he said, "looked as if he lived in the coal cellar," walked about in a dirty jacket without a collar, and had taken the doctor up with the coal-scuttles. On one occasion Dr. Hardy dined at the flat with some friends, who irdered black coffee. They waited fifty mm utes, and then they gave it up in despair. Perhaps the most pitiful tale of woe recounted was that of Mrs Lindler, who went to call on Miss Lane one Sunday afternoon. The page, clad in his flannel jacket, took her up in the lift with the coals. This "little vulgar boy" added insult to injury by treading on her skirt, and when she asked him to get off, he did;not, answer, but only whistled.' Although Mr Justice Mathew said, "We will see the boy," much to everyone's disappointment the nonchalant lad was not called upon for his version of affairs. Instead, Mr Midgley attempted to show that the staff of servants was sufficient, the flats well managed, he page boy so popular that he had been retained "by special request," that the hot water supply was rectified, and the complaints were trivial. If Miss Lane had only exercised a little patience all would have been well. The jury, however, thought that to expect tenants to wait forty-five minutes for hot water, and fifty-five for coffee was taxing their patience too severely, and found that th.c flat was not reasonably suitable for Miss Lane's tenancy, and that she was justified in throwing it up. Accordingly judgment was given in Miss Lane's favour on her claim, and for £30 damages on her counter claim.

LONDON, April 19.