ANTI-SHOUTING.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13667, 8 September 1916, Page 2

ANTI-SHOUTING.

THE PLIGHT Of THE PUBLICANS,' BELIEF MEASURES i (Per I'ross Association,) WELLINGTON, iSeptember G, . It i 3 being suggested that the publicans may yet approach the' Government' asking for some relief in respect of loss of trade and loss of profits owing to'the anti-shouting decree. Up till the pre-, sent, however, no such step lias been taken, Whatever the publicans have in" mind, the Government has received iio communication from them,

•In actual fact, any appeal to the Government will be useless, or almost so. ■The publicans cannot by 'this means, secure any immediate relief, because the Government cannot give it to them,' The grievance 6f the hotelkeepei" is that he is required to pay' rent on the' basis of business done before shouting was prohibited, and that he still has to ! go on payiug this high rent when his' business is reduced by the operation of the new law by amounts variously stated, as, from 15 to 50 per cent. • The> Government has no power to lis the rents of public liouses, even if it considered sucli a course of action wise., It cannot by war regulation or otherwise take any such power, The only legislation on the Statute Book which deals at all with the restriction of rents applies only to'private dwelling houses,, and not to public houses or any other premises used for trading, lu New South AVales the hotelkeepers' have been granted a moratorium to protect tlicrti from ruin as a result of six, o'clock closing, which lias, lately come into operation tlipre, but here we have' no general Moratorium Act which could be put into operation for the protection ■ of the publicans in respect of rents payable by-them. The name '.'moratorium" is given loosely to! the Mortgages Extension Act, but the very limited moratorium which that Ad giv.Qs. applies only to repayment of principal (not interest) due under mortgages and bills of sale. Until Parliament gives, the Government power to .deal with tho situation that has arisen, which Parliament might conceivably refuse to do, the Government is powerless to help the publicans.' If they are to have relief, it appears that they must make the best bargains they can with their landlords.