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THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 21, 1938.
Court or an Evictions Court, which, would protect the tenant
The China Mail against the rapacious landlord while ensuring the good landlord of fair treatment. Its principal duty would be to assess a fair standard rent on premises com- ing within its purview and pre- vent eviction (except for very.
Ninety-Third Year of Publication SA Wyndham Street, Hong Kong, Telephone 20022,
London Office
7, Garrick Street, London, W.C.2 special reasons leaving no option) where the tenant was willing to Imeet the standard rent thus fix-
Notice To Contributors. All communications intended for ed. Its existence would not neces publication should be addressed to sarily mean a rush of housing litigation: rather we think that the Editor, and be accompanied by knowledge that such a tribunal the Writer's Name and Address. not necessarily for insertion but as a guarantee of good faith.
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Postage Abroad. Es tra
OLI
was open to tenants would act as la curb on the bad landlords, some
of whom are, according to information, already acting on the Commission's Report and event ignoring the formality, of statu- tory notice. It is of no value to linstruct the tenant that he may insist upon his legal rights when over him hangs the threat of an eviction notice if he ventures to
Hong Kong, Thursday, April 21, 1938. quibble over "trifes." The Hon.
FAIR RENTS
Mr N. L. Smith ventured the statement yesterday that the abnormal increase in the popula- tion of the Colony is the chief Acceptance by Government of factor in the situation which call- the recommendations of the led for the appointment of the Rents Commission was a fore-Commission. That may be true. gone conclusion having regard to up to a point. We do, neverthe- the strength of the case made less, quite seriously suggest that out by and for the landlords. On the need for closest watch now is such a Report it was impossible on the results of the publication to find otherwise than that hard- of the Commission's Report. ships, if any, were not being `im-
posed on so wide a scale as to jus- tify immediate legislative action
in the matter of rent restriction. Rent Policy in Britain The mere fact that those in close
touch with community life have The Home Government is play- not attempted to soft-soap the ing for safety in its handling of Commission but have made plain rent restriction. It has accepted their view that the Rents Report part, but only part, of the recom- does not by any means present a mendations of the majority of true or complete picture of the the Ridley. Committee. The most housing problem seems not to be important part it shelves and very material just now. It has to
passes on to yet another Com- be admitted that Government is mittee! This is fully in the right this far: that the Report spirit of all Governmental deal- failed to disclose any real. case ings with rent restriction, but is for the tenants, and that if this is none the worse for that. The failure was due to the refusal of Government would have been ex- tenants to submit their complaints tremely ill-advised had it accept- to the Commission, they have only ed the elaborate but unfair pro- themselves to blame.
cedure which the majority report Whether, however, it is alto- laid down. What the Bill will gether comforting to sit back indo, therefore, will be to take con-- the reflection that Government is trol away from all the remaining keeping a "dose watch” on the controlled houses (except those situation is quite another matter-occupied by two families and One of the most justified criti- more) with a yearly value (in cisms of the Commission's Re-1931) exceeding $35 in Scotland port is its failure to give due at- and London and £20 in the rest of tention to the issue of evictions the country. This will add about without cause. Cases of this kind 450,000 of the larger type of are cropping up with increasing houses to the total of 5,950,000 frequency and genuine hardships houses now not under control.. have been revealed. The resist There will remain 4,250,000 con- ance arises not because the tenant trolled houses. The majority of does not wish to leave, but be- the Ridley Committee suggested cause he cannot find anywhere that after 1940 decontrol should else to go
unless Government be applied to these over a period would recommend him to go bid- of years by a sliding scale mov- ding over the head of another ing with the fall in the percent- tenant elsewhere and so perpetu-age of overcrowding. The two jate the process of victimisation. Liberal members condemned this The Commission refused-to dis- as being based on a wrong prin- cuss prohibition of eviction with ciple, and the Labour minority re- out cause seriously. It tried to port was still more outspoken. argue that the landlord could al-The Government pays its Conser- ways raise his rent to completely vative friends of the majority the" prohibitive levels and find cause compliment of agreeing that de- in the refusal of the tenant to control, when it comes, should be pay. The Commission ventured progressive and should be related only two suggestions for dealing to areas and determined in the with the rents question, rent res-light of local conditions." It con- triction and the building of new cedes that the state of overcrowd- - tenements. A third alternative, ing may be an "important fac- which offers a measure of control tor, but refuses to make it the of rents fluctuation without arbit-sole testa highly sensible de- rary legislation as well as a means cision, since, as everybody admits, of prevention of eviction without the overcrowding standard of the cause was not as far as we can Ministry of Health is grossly low. find in a thorough study of 1 the Whether the new inquiry, when Report, considered for a moment. it comes, will be any more sue- This was the passing suggestion cessful remains to be seen, but made in our previous comment on at least the Government has gain- the Report, the establishment of ed time and spared itself a politi- ja judicial tribunal, a Fair Rentsical storm.