RENT RECEIVERS ROAR

NZ Truth, Issue 580, 29 July 1916, Page 6

RENT RECEIVERS ROAR

Poverty Stricken Property-owners Pitiful Protest

DESCRIBE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AS UNFAIR RENT ACT

A Humorous Gathering of Hie Fat Man

Last week the Attorney-General m Introducing: -the War Regulations Amendment bill, stated . that powers were being sought under the comprehensive measure .to restrict rents to the amounts which were being paid on the 3rd of August) 1914. This

statement somewhat; seriously alarmed landlordom m the capital city, and the jent-collaring crowd soon got m touch * "With each other m order to try what could be done to keep the Government from stabbing its best friends m the back. A protest meeting was organised and this took place on Monday night last, m the Chamber of Commerce rooms. The advertisement callIng the meeting stated that its purpose was "to discuss the proposed legislation affecting the increase of rents dozing the war." About one hundred landlords were present. Mr. A. H. Hunt, who SEEMED VERT INDIGNANT v with the Government, and spoke as one who had received a smack on the face from the friend be had helped

most m the past, gave a brief outline

of what he thought the War Legisla- , tton Amendment Bill did m the way of affecting rents, and moved: That this meeting strongly objects to the -legislation as contained In the War Legislation Amendment Bill, on the ground that such legislation is inequitable and unjust

Mr. Underwood seconded the motion. This gentleman was very much underwood — from the neck downwards, we would say, for he -went on to declare Chat the proposed legislation would prevent a landlord recouping himself for improvements; the very thing the Act specially seeks to avoid doing. This being so, his farther remarks were beside the point. But he went on to say that at the present time materials had gone up very largely In price. The bill would hit him very severely. He had never succeeded m getting over 7 per cent gross. on bis property. The proposed legislation was unjust to an extreme degree. „ The landlords were "up against it" They should stick out .against the legislation. He hoped the meeting would impress on the Government the necessity for giving the landlords a fair deal, and that they should get at least 6 per cent net- , Here Troth" pauses to ask whose fault is it that landlord Underwood sever made more than 7 per cent out of his property? la it because he made a bad bargain when he purchased U, or when he had it erected for him; and does he expect the Government to allow tenants to be penalised because of a landlord'B want of business ability? The storekeeper, who is making a failure of his business, might as justly complain that be should be allowed to charge as high a price as to secure him the coveted return of six per cent plus working expenses, even though by- so doing the big merchant would be enabled to make *60 per cant, just as some bUc landlords are now doing. This "covey^ says the Government should secure the houselords 6 per cent Why, the new Act secures them the right to charge 8 per cent on money laid out m Improvements!

Mr. V. Jensen told his hearers something new. He said that the propertyowners were really the pioneers of the country. They were the most useful people, second only to the farmers, and it was grossly unfair that after working and slaving ail their lives to achieve a little property, that the Government should step, m and say that they must not make more than 5 per cent., when everybody else was allowed to charge from 10 to 200 per cent. He said matches had been increased 50 per cent, m price. Then he added that it was perfectly outrageous that the Government should do this. It i will be news to many to hear that the Government are dealers m matches and that they are robbing Mr. Jensen of %d. On every box he buys. He went on. to say that the poor people who came from his country (Denmark} could not pay rent; _

THEY HAD TO LIVE IN TENTS. Evidently MHandlord Jensen thinks tents are good enough for the poor. "Truth" has no doubt they would be much more healthy for the occupants than are some-' of the rack-rented slums of Wellington. .

Then the genial Tom Dwan took the rostrum. Tom is not egotistical, but he likes to talk about himself— that Is when what he has to say is to tola credit. And so he told how/- that during the strike his firm, brought down rents — m fact, charged many of their working tenants no rent at all. 'He was not m favor of extortionate rents being imposed on poor people. Here he made a slight halt, and then added as a sort of afterthought, "during the war." Evidently Tom has other opinions for other times! Eh, Tom? Mr. Liawlor, being merely a landlord and not a lawlord, couldn't understand why only property drawing under £2 per week was being,, dealt with. Was this with a view to hitting the small man? he asked. Mr. Hay Hell Wilson confidently in-' formed the gathering that he, as a rent-collector and the representative of some' ladles — a sort of ladies' man,, so-to-speak— knew a little about property. The fact that he "knew a little," and no more m the opinion of his fellow rent-rackers, was shown when he asserted that house property only yielded five per cent return. i Here the chairman chipped m the I monosyllable: "Three." Mr. Wilson: I thi-thi-nk it's a-about five. Chairman: What about depredation? Mr. Wilson (eagerly seizing the way of escape opened up for him): Oh, if you allow depreciation you would get nothing. ■ , ' ■ [WHAT PHILANTHROPISTS THESE LANDLORDS ARE.] Then they were always being bothered to make repairs, and the corporation inspector called about twice a week to worry, about things. He certainly supported the resolution. And Hey Hell sat down like a man glad to gtH it over. * Mr. Charles Swiney suggested the collecting of, some data to lay before the Cabinet. At least 2% per cent, should be laid aside to provide against a wasting asset, such as house property lyas. , :.-.». The motion' was then put. ; . ■ , "Carried unanimously,"/ exclaimed the chairman with unnecessary partlcularisatibn. • •On the. motion of .Mr. Hector". McLeod it was decided to send a deputation to protest to the Premier. A little later Messrs. Dwan, > Wilson, Lambert and Boyd were selected to orate for that gentleman's edification. Mr. P. W. Moore said that pYopertyownors wore' not getting more than three per cent Tho Government desired to placate the agitators for reduced rents, because the landlords were not organised. ;At the same time the Government did not reduce the price of butter to the working man. ' Then, Mr. J. J. Boyd got going. He said that the farmers were tbo backbone of the country, and the landlords were the backbone of the town. "If the Government persists," he added, and tho firo flashed from his eyes as he spoke, let us take it to tho Supreme Court, and knock the bottom out of it" , Hero "Truth's" rep. found himself humming the words of the Scots song, "Ya'd better 'Boyd' 'kwee." Mr. Merry was a merry and militant marauder. He declared that they ought to take Bteps to wreck tho Bill — to kill It. (Ha! ha! arid shivery, shakery music should be imagined hero). Many landlords wero getting a few shillings moro now than previously, but this, only compensated for lean years. During the strike, tho landlords got no rents at all — tho "Red Feds" told tho workers not to pay, and the tenants used to leave one house and go to another to escape their just dues. "They TOOK US FOR A LOT OF MUGS," said the speaker. He evidently thinks that the Government 1s now of the same opinion. Mr. G. Lambert said now that they saw what associations could do, why should not the decent, respectablo landlords have an association, so that when a- rotten tenant left a landlord cooling his heels for his rent, he should report that man to his association, so that others would not be left lamenting. Mr. Lambert is nothing if not businesslike, and if the country had more of hia kind tho Jew and tho Aberdonlan could both die m Aberdeen. He said that this matter should not end m tho meeting, but every man m the room should bund m his nape as a member of a PropertyOwnora 1 Association, if they had such an association they could then say to the plumber who overcharged that thoy wcro members of tho association, and | that if tho plumber overcharged they I could uay ho would not be employed by members of tho association. Such on association would havo to bo comparatively select. It wouldn't do, thought ' George, for moro agents to be allowed membership. Ho formally moved that such an association bo formed. This was agreed to, and Hector McI^eod (Oh, those acquisltivo Scots. Thoy know whore tho rlpo plums aro!) was appointed Hocretary pro torn. And now Masscy, tho Square Deal and iho moro mob who object to pay whatever rent tho landlord* demand may look out for squalls. As Jonson nays, if thoy aro too poor lot them livu m tents. And. talking of rents, meanwhile the cry of tho Property Owners' Association is "To your tonu*, O, Israel!" * RENT-PAYERB NOT PERTURBED. It la just au well that the other puxtlos, L«l, tho r<mt-pa.>«ra, aro alivo to their Interest*, and "Truth" notes that a mooting of the Rant-pay«r»* Association was hold m tho Trades Hall on Tuoadny night; Mr. M. J. Roardon (prtisldoQl) In tho chair. The wjcrvtwry (Mr. I* M. A. Rcardcn) road a report dealing with various case* of Increased rwu, wad tt» utltod* adopud by in*

property-owncra ut ihtlr mooting on Monday night wan dincuwjizd. Thu whole tn&ltc-r of wifejjmmiins lomitit*' right* wo« go'tio Into, iujd U wus rt*> uolvod that. If nce«jjNsnry. n deputation should wait on tho Prlmo Minister and brine bo ford his notice data m the po«---itoanioa of the (u»oclutturi. It xvoh itlx;o decided that tho association remain m fxlHtonct?. a» a. permanent body, no (natter what the outcome of tho prtrwvni Mtfiuuao Cor radaaad rrnot* tnay t*.