13 JANUARY 1923, Page 2

-withholding rent altogether, until they have recouped themselves. The issue

has been tried at law, and the -House of Lords decided against the landlords. This decision was obvious and inevitable. The landlords disregarded the wording of the Act. The matter is bound to come before Parliament, and there will probably be an attempt to make any new legislation retrospective, so as to do justice to the landlords, who have indeed suffered more than almost any other holders of property. But though we agree that they have been very hardly treated by the rent strikers, we fear that if legislation were made retrospective there would be no end to it. Parliament should refuse to tread such a dangerous path.