To the Editor of the "Nonnt Cinta Dany News!
Sm,—While not on the Committee of this Asscelation, Tam considerably Interested in their' work and T am in touch with their activities, T was in the chair at the frst pubile meeting One notable result of the formation of the Association is that due the activities of the tenants, they have been able to force landlords—or perhaps it might be said that Tandiords. have agreed—to reduce their rentals so that the known saving to tenants on a few houses the neighbourhood of $3¢0,000 per annum. How much has been saved to tenants indirectly because land~ lords who are watching the situation know that they' cannot get away with excessive charges, can only be guess~ fed al, but when' landlords see the result' of the work of the Tenants' Association they are certainly going to be a little cautious, Te might be argued that it is wrong to consider that the landlords are the only people to blame in the: existing situation, but in this. con~ nection. there Is one argument. to Dung forward, At a recent meeting of & British. organization, reference was made to the work" that this organization and the S, M, C. had done whereby. the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce had agreed to provide 8 Court of Arbitration free of charge settle rental disputes, As far Tam aware, not one case has. y been heard by this court of arbitr: tion, This isnot the fault of the tenants, as on more than one occasion landlords have point-blank refused to consider any arbitration although was proposed by the Association, 'They insisted on their pound flesh in full measure. Whether they got it or not can be told you by the Tenants' Association who fought, T think that It has been abundantly: proved that the Tenants" Associa has dono excellent work, It th were a larger membership they would be still more powerful, would seem only right that those who have profited even indirectly the fact of such an association being {fn existence. should enrol themselves as members, Prospective members should send their names "to. the Secretary, 45 Garden Apartments, 'There seems to be one more field Ju which the. Tenants' Association might do ood work and this is in the question of the sub-letting—of houses "at exorbitant rates, " This practice bleeds' the poorer people Who occupy one room' but have to Pay rentals out of all. proportion to the value of the accommodation obtained, "There Is, for example, one person who rents a house {oF $18 and sublets it room by room for $90 to sub-tenants who are in des porate conditions financially, The Municipalities have s6 far not come forward with any action but it docs not seem right that they should abandon these poorer peo} the rapacity of Shanghai, Nov, 24, BS, Lire Ju,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.