CO129-561-10 Estimates 1938 2-9-1937 - 23-9-1938 — Page 167

铺

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

125

1. That a Rents Ordinance, based on the Rents Ordinance 1922, as amended, and having some date like the 31st July, 1937, in relation to the statutory "standard rent", and limited in duration to, say, one year, be forthwith passed as an Emergency Legislation.

2. That the new Ordinance is to contain a special clause on the lines of Section 13 of the Crown Rents (Apportionment) Ordinance, 1936, providing in effect that the Ordinance shall apply to, and come into operation as regards, such houses, lots, areas or districts, and as from such date or dates as shall from time to time be appointed by the Governor by proclamation.

3. That the rights under the new legislation be confined to the actual tenant in relation to the actual premises occupied by him, in contra-distinction to the "principal tenant", who would otherwise benefit at the expense of his superior landlord.

4. That a Rents Officer be appointed. And it is suggested that an Assistant Secretary for Chinese Affairs should be Rents Officer in regard to Chinese tenancies, and, say, the Assistant Crown Solicitor should be Rents Officer in regard to non-Chinese tenancies.

5. That the Rents Officer is to hear both the landlord and the tenant in regard to any complaints against either an increase of rent, or notice to quit.

6. That if the Rents Officer cannot settle the matter amicably between the parties, and if he considers that the landlord is acting unreasonably or unconscionably, he is to recommend to Government to "proclaim" the house in question, which would then come under the new legislation.

I submit that the mere existence of such legislation will have a most salutary and deterrent effect, and that it will have the merit of curbing the anti-social activities of any landlord who, in the opinion of the Rents Officer, is unreasonably exploiting the prevailing extraordinary conditions.

In default of a Rents Ordinance on the lines above suggested, it may be that a short Ordinance, to the effect that, during the currency of the Ordinance, no notice to quit shall be valid unless it shall be, say, at least 3 months' notice, may afford some relief against too sudden evictions.

Sir Andrew Caldecott, in winding up the Debate on last year's Budget, suggested a new procedure in relation to the proceedings in this Council on the Annual Budget. The new procedure contemplates "an Annual Address" by the Governor, "in which he dwelt broadly but concisely with current problems and reviewed in perspective the important events of the year". But whether the new procedure will

189