The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-07
BRITAIN TO RETAIN
WAR TIME REFORMS
Nearly All the Emergency
Acts Have Proved Of Per-
manent Value.
ft.
HEALTH MADE AN ISSUE
Power Of Landlord to Eject
Tenants Broken for Good,
It Is Thought.
HEALTH MADE AN ISSU1
special Correspondence to TIE sus.

oNeCtot CoTTcSpOHueHCu 20 1h1 DUN
LONDON, June 30.-The temporary
val legislation and other regulations OF
Tho war period have opened the way to
many reforms IN the constitution that
etherwise would have taken years to
br1ps about.
The Institution of the Ministry of
Food. with It's controlled prices, has
made imperative the passing Of new
Hesitation dealing with weights and
measures The standard quality of food
stunts fixed by the food controller will
have the effect OF carrying without OPP
position the moro strenuous reguls tons
regarding adulteration that will be in
etftuted in tho near future.
Regulations regarding Industrial as
surance already have been followed by
The institution Of q Government commit
tee which will inquire into all the In
cidence Of assurance and as part Of its
work will recommend the action that
should be taken by the State to deal
with the working Of Industrial assur-
anee.
The result of the medical exanina-
mop OF recruits has disclosed such a
po9r standard of health that as the
outcome the present health insurance
acts will be broadened as quickly as
possible and the outcome will provide
q state medical service for every citi-
zen or the country. This latter will be-
come enective as soon as the necessary
medical personnel has been obtained.
Legislation dealing with tenancies and
mortgages on houses and other premises
mas worked SO well that the Judges OF
the county courts, who had to. decide all
ciaims. are openly In support of the
policy or continuance of the court emer-
gency acts for the future, and IL their
view Is taken these acts will be- made
permanent. The bailiffs attached to the
courts are In favor Of the continuation
OF the measure; they generally agree
that the act is the best method of col
Letting rent that has been devised.
PREVIOUS to the passing of this act
the landlord was law unto himself II
tne rent was not forthcoming a landlord
simply handed a distress warrant to an
authorized beiliff who seized the goods
OF the defaulting tenant. and sold suf-
ncfent to realize the amount due. No
legal process was required; II was an
immemorial right Of the landlord thus
to have preferential treatment accorded
him In respect Of arrears Of rent, and
In practice the exercise Of this right
often operated harshly. Little homes
which had been built up laboriously
were broken up in an hour-not always
through the fault of the tenant.
Then the war came and the courts
emergency act was passed. This act
placed an intermediate stage between
the granting OF judgment against a
debtor and the issuing OF execution.
Tho act gave the debtor the right to
come before the court and explain the
circumstances. 1t gave powers to the
Judge to decide whether the creditors
right should be exercised at once or be
postponed or modified in any way. In
working II gave the debtor time to pay
and prevented many persons losing their
homes. In regard to goods bought on
the instalment system 1t gave the judge
the right to vary the payments according
20 the circumstances OF the debtor, and
generally was beneficial to both debtor
and creditor.
The outcome is likely to be fresh
legislation placing the landlord and
tenant on a more equitable basis; any
way legislation Is certain to ensure the
abolition of distress warrants unless
the application has been before the
court and leave obtained.