CITY LEASEHOLDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9241, 19 December 1888, Page 6

CITY LEASEHOLDS.

TO THE KDITOR. Sir,—The re-adjustment of rents made by the City Council in the case of the lvarangaliape block, lias evoked considerable outside comment, chiefly owing to the long period to which the Council have thought proper to extend the reduction to. I believe no one disputes but what the cases dealt with were deserving of the fullest measure of relief, but whether it was judicious or otherwise to extend that relief to so long a period as twenty years, 1 shall not here stop to discuss. What l desire to draw attention to is a current rumour that some councillors, apparently anxious to dispense their powers on the lines of personal favour, are disposed to wholly or partially ignore the claims of all other cases seeking similar relief. To say that of all the leases disposed of during the period of fictitious values, the Karangahape block alone brought excessive rents, would be to insult one's understanding. Evidence is unfortunately too abundant where other good citizens are struggling to pay the Council for ground rent of allotments on which they have expended large sums of money, which the whole properties are at present totally and notoriously inadequate to yield. This being an indisputable fact, I cannot for a moment doubt but the Council as a whole, bearing in mind that they are exercising exceptional 1 lowers, conferred on them for the special purpose of dealing with a particular grievance, will be actuated by such a spirit of fairdealing as will not at least give rise to a public scandal of favouritism in a matter of this kind. —I am, etc., J, (J,