THE BUDGET PROPOSAL.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2806, 26 June 1916, Page 6

THE BUDGET PROPOSAL.

Sir,—l notice in the Budget the inten. tion of the Government i 6 to legislate on rents and bring them back to the prowar ' rates. This would be a very complicated undertaking. For instance, I am a landlord, having worked all my , life to get a little bit of property together, consequently I know all about it. How does the Government, propose to \ deal with the problem like this? During tho last strike a number of my tenants, labouring men, were out of work. Houses that I was getting 15s. for are Teduced to 7s. Gd., and in some cases I did not charge any rent at all during the time the men were out of work, as nobody with any heart could see women and children thrown out into the sSreet without a shelter through no fault of their own. The strike was forced on a large number of toilers who had no say in the matter. My tenants had all been good payers, so what could I do? I continued the low rents for some time, but lately have put them up to the original amounts, which I consider only fair.

It is not all beer and skittles to ho a landlord. I have to pay Goveruraent land tax, graduated land tax, war rent tax, local rates and taxes, water, charitable aid. library, etc., also insurance on the buildings. I have also a considerable annual outlay- in keeping the buildings, •which are wood, in fairly good order. If I change a. tenant I have to invariably repaper the house. There are also nu' merons other breakages, repairing plumbing, drains, etc. It often costs £1 or .£2 to remove obstructions out of the drains put in by children. This also comes out' of my pocket. I also have to pay 5 per cent, for collecting, and. have a certain amount of loss throuriiout the year ou rents through bad tenants who dodge the. landlord, although they can to patronise the picture shows, hotels, and betting. Also, another item of loss is through a change of tenants, which causes t-lio Imitse to l>e empty for a week invariably.. Takin? things altogether Ido not. clear more thnn 4 ner "put. on tho "inital invested, which is nothing to crow over. I could do better by investing in Government bonds free of taxes.

Now, Sir Joseph Ward proposes to knock out all the small landlords in one blow. I know there are thousands of poor people mosHy old, and a number of them widows, living on'a few' shillings rental they get in, they having saved up enough in their young days to avoid becoming a burden on the Government.

Why single poor people out? There is no attempt to attack the tobacco Ting or the sugar trust, picture film monopoly, racing clubs, nor do we hear our worthy Treasurer say a word against the shipping rings. Ho never even suggests one penny per lb. export dutv on wool or an export tax on PTOdlice which people live on, such •as butter, meat. etc. The great America" monopoly of oil companies, also escape. They are making millions out of this colony, and nay practically nothing. Also, the Colonial Treasur"! - is very careful to avoid taxing the Bank of N"w Zealand, ihich pays 15 per cent, to its shareholders. I coull go on enumerating .dozens of combines that could he ■taxed. ....

If the Government wishes to he'p the poor people, whv do they not erect tenement flats in the congested areas ana" "bolis 1 ' the sirens sue l ' as HMni"? Street, Tory Street, Upper Taranaki Street, ot they could resume some of the best quarters such as Hobson Street, Welling, ton Terrace, or Oriental Bay, and build workers' flats there?

The workers are continually crying out for more houses. There are no sections in the city. "Why not purchase land al Petono or tlie Lower Hutt and electrify the railways ? Every worker could get a plot of his own for £160, and under a table mortgage for advance to workers at abont a Tontal of 12s. 6d.' per week. 1 have noticed large areas of land alongside the railway stations at Petono. and the Hutt. We poor landlords want fair play. While on the subject why not abolish bookmakers entirelv? They cause more trouble to tbe working man than drink. They are on the job . all through tho week taking small bets, and. are at the "job on wages day to settle, and it is mostly collect.—l am. etc., SMALL LANDLORD.