THE AFFLICTIONS OF LANDLORDS.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sia,—Mr. Barnes-Austin does not mention the crowning in- justice with which landlords are threatened. In 1920 an Act was passed permitting landlords to make some increase, although an inadequate one, on pre-War rents. The procedure to be followed was laid down in the Act and complied with by landlords, and the increase has been paid. Some ingenious person, however, has discovered in a badly worded clause the possibility of construing it to mean that unless the landlord first of all gave his tenant notice to quit—a purposeless and idiotic action, seeing that under the Rent Restriction Act he was de- barred from turning him out—his notice of increase of rent was invalid, and all increased rents paid since are, in consequence, illegal and will have to be repaid. In Scotland a test case has been decided locally, and then, on appeal to the Court of Session, against the landlords, and I understand the situation in England is similar. The Scotch case has been taken to the House of Lords, which, however, is postponing its decision. Imagine the anxiety and suspense of landlords, many of whom are widows and persons of small means, who may have snatched from them by a legal quirk on a badly worded clause the scanty alleviation which had been granted them, and this in a retro- spective manner which may make many of them bankrupt. ft seems the apotheosis of injustice and cruelty to houseowners.—.
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