MR. BURNS AND THE HOUSING BILL.
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.']
Sin,—I cordially agree with the observations upon this Bill made in your article of September 25th, and I think I can nsefully enforce your argument by the following quotation from the Report of the Licensing Committee of my county for the year 1906 as to compensations under the Act of 1904
"The case of the [name of public-house] which had been re- ferred to the High Court at the time of the last Report has now been agreed by consent at the sum of 4318, the costs of the Com- missioners of Inland Revenue being 41 3s. 6d. The compensation originally claimed by the owners in this case was 4.558 15s. 6d. The Licensing Committee offered 4355. The Commissioners of Inland Revenue fixed the compensation at 4120. Upon appeal to the High Court, the solicitor to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue suggested that the original offer of 4355 made by the Committee might be agreed to, and the owners have expressed their willingness to accept this sum. The Licensing Committee, on reconsidering the case, decided that 4318 would be a fair sum, and the Commissioners of Inland Revenue and the owners have now agreed the appeal at that sum."
It will be seen from this 'that if there had been no appeal from the Government Department the owners would have been cut down to one-third of the value of their property.—
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