Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8927, 16 December 1887, Page 4

Very considerable importance attaches to the Public Bodies Powers Bill, introduced by the Colonial Secretary, the Hon. Mr. Hislop. At the opening of the session the Government promised to do something before Parliament rose to give relief to persons who were suffering from the high rents they were obliged to pay for properties which were leased at a time when forced prices were ruling. It was then intimated that the time at their command would not admit of the Government dealing exhaustively with the subject. That will be undertaken during the recess, and a comprehensive measure will be prepared against next session. The present Bill is therefore only intended to enable public bodies to grant such relief as may be most urgently called for. An attempt was made in the session of 1886 to make provision for such cases, but, owing to some defects, the Act then passed was practically inoperative. That Act this Bill therefore proposes to repeal, though incorporating such of its provisions as it was deemed desirable to utilise. During the present session Sir George Grey also introduced a Bill called the Fair Rent Bill, dealing to some extent with this subject; but it failed to meet with favour from the House, partly no doubt on the ground that it is considered inexpedient in a private member to bring in a Bill on any subject on which the Government have intimated their intention of preparing a measure, and partly because it did not cover the whole ground, and, by the creation of Land Courts for settling all cases of dispute ae to rent, imposed a new burden upon the country. The measure prepared by the Government provides for all matters contemplated in Sir George Grey'e Bill, which dealt only with ths leases of public or Grown lands and education reseives, and also supplies the defects of the Leaseholds Act of 1886. The main feature of the present Bill is that any leasing authority, whether public body or person vested with public authority, may at any time or times during the currency or on the surrender of a lease compromise with or make allowances to the tenant or tenants for any rent which may be due, and may also, in tbe case of the lease being continued, reduce the amount of rent to be thereafter paid. That really contains the gist of the measure, and the principle thus embodied is, with modifications, made applicable to all kinds of lea«ehold properties under the control of public bodies. The relief which such a measure may be the means of giving to many unfortunate tenants, who in the present depressed • state of trade are obliged to pay on pro- j perties, leased in prosperous times, rents j which are quite beyond their ability, will undoubtedly prove most acceptable. From the burdens thus pressing them down there is at present no real escape, save by going through the Bankruptcy Court. Such, for example, has been the positioa of our Harbour Board tenants in Customs«streec, and our City Council tenants in Karaßgahape Road and elsewhere. The claims for specific relief in these cases bare hitherto been made in vain, mainly on the plea that if times had continued prosperous the tenants would have had the exclusive benefit. It would serve no purpose to dispute auch a contention, whero itis a remedy for an admittedly undesirable state of things that is wanted. It is, we take it, no advantage to the community, nor indeed to any individual in the long run, that rems should be maintained at such a high figure as to imply the ruin of the tenants. This, despite all legal quibliiig, is generally granted ; but the power to enable public bodies to graut the relief which such a state of things demands, has hitherto boen unavailable. It may be said, indeed, that such lessees or public tenants are, in adverse times, in no worse a plight than private tenants who also maj have accepted leases under more prosperous circumstances. This is quite true, but it only serves to raise the question whether the law should not be so framed that it would admit of relief being obtained in all such cases, either public or private X It is towards such a legal provision for the difficulty that legislation on this question is dcubtleßS tending, but, meanwhile, the passing of an Act granting such power to all public bodies will generally be welcomed as a substantial contribution towards a more comprehenn sive dealing with this subject.