WAR LEGISLATION AMENDMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14049, 20 July 1916, Page 4

WAR LEGISLATION AMENDMENT.

;. LOCAL ELECTIONS SUSPENDED. TEMPORARY TEACHERS : AND , POLICE. - " "' 1 RENT LIMITATION LAW. .-' (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) '-.WELLINGTON, this day. The War Legislation Amendment Bill ; introduced by Governor's message last :iight, contains many important provisions. Mr Herdman, who explained it, stated that, .the first part deals with rents. It was practically an incorporation of. the provisions of the English Act restricting rents, operating as irom August 3, 1914. Settlement of soldiers rin the land would be made easier than under tlie existing' law'. Another section empowered' the Minister 1 of Education to employ persons .temporarily in schoolso replace teachers who have gone to the front. Section 4 preserved the .ights of public servants arid "railwaymen in superannuation funds while on ictive service Part five makes provision tor postponing all elections of 'members of local ' authorities^ ' including: the mayoralty, that would 1 but for this section take place before August 31, 1917. Difficulties had arisen O/ver the Fencing Act, because of lhe high price of fencing materials. These Svould bo met by another section. '" Clause : 18' was designed to protect' tho rights of ' members . of Pai'liahient" who went to the front, securing payment of honorarium and ensuring that tlieir names remained' on the electoral roll. Another clause authorised payments by local authorities for recruiting organisation. Clause 21 provided that apprenticeship articles be not broken during an apprentice's, absence on active service. Clause 22 protects mining privileges. Clause 23 authorises the Commissioner of Police to ( raise an' auxiliary force' of temporary oons'tables 'if necessary. Single' men could not Be asked to join the forcp. ' The'veforo it might be necessary to suspend the age limit. Dr Thacker : What about women police? i Tho Minister : That must stand over in the meantime. I am making in- , quiries. . Mr Herdman added that another, clause dealt with soldiers' wills. The | law was that a will written in a book bi' other informal way Could not apply in real estate. The Bill provided that a soldier's will could effectively cover real estate. ' The ' Bill was read a first time. • RENT LIMITATION. :Tho standard rent defined,, in the Bill is the rent paid on, August 3, 1914. Tho Act will remain operative till six months after the end of the -.war. Landlords cannot raise the rent above the stand-; ard, nor transfer to the tenant liabiii- , ties which have the effect of increasing their payment, but where" a landlord, has, since the commencement of the? war, incurred expenditure on the improvement . and structural alteration of , a* dwelling house; not including expenditure on decoration or repairs, an increase of rent at a rate not exceeding eight per cent, per annum on the amount so expended shall not lVe ' '.deemed : to be an increase for the purpose of this Act Where Va landlord pays 'rates 1 chargeable ori : . the occupier' of any dwellinghouse the increase of rent shall* not be deemed to be ah 'increase for the' purposes, of ' the ' ' Act if the amount '-.of-:' increase does not • exceed the actual extra amount paid as rates. Before such increases bo charged the tenant shall receive a statement showing particulars, any question arising to be determined by a (Stipendiary Magistrate. Orders for the recovery of possession of dwellings will not be issued so long ''as the tenant .complies, takes reasonable care •of premises, and pays the standard rent, though the court may issue an order if satisfied . that the prenliscs are reasonably re•quired by the '.' landlord for occupation by himself or some person in his employ, or some other ground deemed satisfactory by the court making such order.