RENTS FOR STREET STANDS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 170, 6 April 1923, Page 8

RENTS FOR STREET STANDS

A REDUCTION OCCURS HAVE .THE HINDUS COMBINED?

Each quarter the ’chief municipal inspector (Mr. Watson) disposes at auction of some seventeen rfruit-vending stands in the streets of Wellington, stands which, are, with one or two exceptions, usually served by Hjndu barrowmen. In the past the competition for the stands has been exceedingly brisk, and, as the result, fairly good prices have. been realised, the money, of course, going into the general revenue of the city. At the sale of stands held yesterday, however, the Hindus turned up in fair numbers, but the bidding was extremely slow. The men of India seemed most reluctant to open their mouths. The consequence was that the majority of tho stands failed to realise anything like the prices secured in the corresponding quarter of last year, and for lour stands sold last year there were no bids at all. In two' instances only the amounts realised were in excess of those obtained in the corresponding quarter of last year. The suggestion has been made that the Hindu traders may have got together in order to keep down stand rents. There is no law to prevent their taking such action, as no restriction on competition was attempted. The following are the prices for the current quarter '(commencing April 1) as compared with those for the corresponding quarter of last year:—

Last This year year. . £ Tram terminus, Courtenay Place 20 ' s. d. £ s. d. 10 0 D 0 0 Tory St., corner gas works 8 Taranaki St., cor0 — nor Courtenay Place 5 Vivian St., corner , V. and A.’s ... 12 5 0 4 10 0 5 0 4 10 0 Garrett Street ... 4 10 0 — Ghuznec Street... 10 0 0 4 10 0 Dixon Street ... 13 17 0 13 17 6 Boulcott Street... 15 0 0 14 To 0 Gresham Hotel... 4 10 0 4 10 0 Roval Hotel 4 10 0 — National Hotel... 4 G.P.O., south cor10 0 — ner 9 10 0 5 0 0 G.t’.O. south Brandon Street 17 Pnwpn fitrrnf, ...26 Di snatch Offices 0 0 0 0 28 40 0 15 10 0 0 Lamhton Dear 27 'flmnwl-on waiting 0 0 0 0 0 4 TO 0 Pinfnnl an<l Ridd.iford Streets Not sold’ Totals .... 188 12 6 135 7 6