"NO DICTATION"

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 10

"NO DICTATION"

Those who believe in Government landlordism will not derive much pleasure from Mr. Ransom's tardy confession that the Lands Department finds some of its tenants unreasonable. In these days of give-and-take, two reasonable men may p\ill along together, even as landlord and tenant, or as mortgagee and mortgagor; but the foundation of this co-operation is either that neither will abuse his position, or that if he does the other will counter ,him. It is extremely difficult how-

ever, to counter the unjust demands of tenants or mortgagors if the" landlord or mortgagee is a public service department headed by a political Minister. Neither bureaucracy nor politics—nor a transfusion of both —is well adapted for holding the balance fairly in delicate issues, and for resisting the pressures that are brought to bear from all angles. In giving unreasonable tenants notice that there is a limit to encroachment on State rights, the Minister has wisely taken the, public into his confidence. . Tenant "dictation" is only one step to tenant control, and the logical conclusion would be a Royal Commission of tenants to fix their own rents.