COST OF LIVING.

Evening Star, Issue 22891, 24 February 1938, Page 16

COST OF LIVING.

TO TEE ' BDITOK. Sir,—After reading a letter in tonight’s ‘ Star ' on ‘ Cost of Living,’ by Mrs Herbert, 1 began to wonder who were the people who are causing the

increase in deposits of the banks. Business people and employers of labour in general I should not expect to find among the lucky ones. Landlords—private, not Government ones—are steadily losing money. Tenants—not only- the working class—are not ashamed to go whining to the Labour Bureau about excessive rent, even when they know that the: landlord, can scarcely pay expenses, let alone make a profit. A big majority of tenants deliberately refuse to pay rent, boasting to their friends that there is no necessity to do so, as the Government takes care that the landlord cannot turn them out.

Of course some will say “ take it to court.” What happens there? I have seen no report so far of a magistrate being fair and just enough to find out who is the greater sufferer, tenant or landlord.

In many cases the tenants are owing many months of rent, yet the most the landlord can expect from those who are supposed to deal out justice to all, is notice to quit when a house can be found for the tenant. It may be many months before that is settled satisfactorily for the tenant. In the meantime he says “ I have got notice to quite, so I’ll pay nothing.” This I know for a fact. I know personally of a young able man in steady work who left a house owing nearly £l2. yet he boasted to an acquaintance of the large amount of money he had in the bank. A lawyer’s advice was to “ waste no money on taking the case to court as the man would lie about his savings and no magistrate would order even 2s 6d weekly to be paid.” That is the class of people who are swelling the bank deposits. The tragedy is that so many of our citizens are being demoralised by the suicidal methods of the present Government._ Men on the dole openly boast to friends of their refusal to accept work so long as they are given so much for remaining idle. I have lost faith in a Government that cannot see justice done to all classes; when one class must be openly robbed to give those who deliberately remain idle, and those who, although able, refuse to pay their just debts. Many of us are eager to swell bank deposits; but we are still more eager to keep out of debt, which we could do if only we had a Government that was not blind in one eye and seeing very little with the other, also magistrates who could force the'truth from both sides.—l am, etc.. February' 24. Base Justice.