Mexborough and Swinton Times January 13, 1928

Rent and Rates

This is going to be a momentous year for property owners, for with the provisions of the new Rating and Valuation Act and possible developments in regard to the Rent Restriction Act, the local property owners organisations are likely to have their hands full. For this reason the annual meeting of the Wombwell Property Owners’ Association, to be heId on February 13th, is being looked forward to with more than usual interest.

Both the measures mentioned are of vital interest to tenants of houses and to some extent are interconnected. Mr. James Ward (picture), an official of the Wombwell Property Owners’ Association, who may be taken as an authority in these matters, expresses the opinion that it would have been to the advantage of all concerned, and certainly less confusing, if this clashing of two measures could have been avoided. Moreover, he believes that in suspending the operations of the Rating and Valuation. Act until 1928, the Government themselves thought the complexities arising from the Rent Restriction Act would have been removed by the Act automatically terminating. In support of this view he points out that it was only under strong pressure that the Government renewed the Rent Restriction Act for another year.