THE RENT PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 12 March 1915, Page 2

THE RENT PROBLEM.

POSITION OF QUEEN BTBE£T TENAHTS. '._ iPEtrrloN to ijandlords. 50 PER CENT REDUCTION ASKED. Although the war appears to have made surprisingly little difference to Imsinese in Auckland, there is nevertheless a bigger falling-oIT in trade than is generally appreciated. Prominent business men, interviewed earlier in the week respecting the war tax, opposed the idea of an iin creased land and income tax operating in the city, because they regarded it as a foregone conclusion that rents Would have to come down. Already many landlords have met the situation by reducing rente, but the measure of relief is either not sufficient or not general enough, and a petition is how in circulation amongst Queen Street tenants asking 1 for a substantial reduction in rente while the war lasts. It is pointed out as significant that before the war anyone wanting a shop in Karangaliape Road had to pay a big sum to buy out some existing lease, since empty shops were unknown. At the present time, however, there are many shops vacant. In Queen Street also, particularly above Wellesley Street, there are a good many places untenanted. The petition, which hae already been largely signed, is in the hands of Mr. W. J. Gardiner. The movement, he stated, originated amongst those leasing business places in the vicinity of the Town flail, where a big fallingofT has occurred in trade since the war began. Small shops in that locality, he states, bring in a rental of as much as £8 per week, and there are many tradespeople who have been paying their rents out of their capital rather than out of their profits. At a preliminary meeting held to discuss the position it was suggested that landlords should be asked to bring down rents bj - ' a-third, but as in quite a number of cases owners have already granted reductions of more than that amount, it was resolved that the petition should ask landlords to reduce rents by 50 per cent. "It is really quite a serious matter," added Mr. Gardiner, "and the position is particularly bad all along Upper Queen Street, for, whereas, before the war, the small shopkeeper did a good business there between P and 8 or 9 o'clock at night, you will now scarcely ever find anyone about. The rent problem has got to be dealt witb. Many landlords, realising the position, have already offered substantial reductions without being asked, and if empty shops are not to be thrown on theii hands others must agree to the request of the petitioners that rents' be reduced to nearly one-half of what' they are at present." v