‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎267r] (81/192)

1919-1920.]
BOMBAY IMPEOYEMENT TBUST—BENT ACTS.
57
JT XvVS J
9 ' No loan was rai S ed_ during the year. _ The Trust’s total borrowings Knanc.,
stood at Rs. 608 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , involving interest and sinking fund charges amountins'
to Rs. 28-24 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees per annum. The capital receipts for the year amounted to
Es. 42,05,292 and the expenditure to Rs. 63,00,915 as against Rs 4 00 328 and
Es. 32,63,187 in the previous year. The closing balance fell from Rs 12 39 378
to Rs. 7,19,522. Under the main heads of capital expenditure the cost of
management and establishment increased from Rs. 3'82 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs 5'46 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
that of acquisition from Rs. 20'57 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 28'40 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees and that on works
from Rs. 8'24 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 29'14 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . An analysis of general accounts shows
that interest and sinking fund charges fell from Rs. 25'2 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs 241 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees
while the net revenue rose from Rs. 29'5 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to Rs. 31-1 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . The
municipal contribution was Rs. 15 - 2 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .
12.—Rent Acts.
Chapter III.
PROTECTION.
The genesis of legislation on the subject and the scope, extent and period General
of the two Acts passed by Government are described in the General Adminis
tration Report for 1918-19. The manner in which the Acts were worked at
Bombay, Poona, Thana, Karachi and Aden which were the only places to which
it was applied during 1919-20 is described below. The question of amending
the Acts with a view to preventing an evasion of their provisions was
subsequently raised and a Bill on the subject has been referred to a Select
Committee of the Legislative Council.
WoBKING OF THE ACTS IN DlFFEBENT AbEAS.
1. — Bombay,
As during the previous year, the cases of “ Small Premises ” dealt with
were those only in respect of which complaints were received, either from the
tenants or landlords. The total number of such cases dealt with up to the
end of March 1920 was 579, the total number of tenements in these cases
being 13,853. Ninety-four objections under section 6 ( 1 ) of Bombay Act
No. VII of 1918 were received during the year. Thus with the six objections
received during the previous year, and kept in abeyance pending the nomina
tion by Government of the persons to serve on the Bent committee, the
total number of objections was 100. Out of these objections, 6 were
withdrawn by the parties concerned, 84 were determined by the committee
and 10 were pending at the close of the year. Out of the objections
determined by the committee, the orders made by the Deputy Rent
Controller were confirmed in 51 cases and were modified in 33 cases. The
committee held 33 meetings. As complaints were received from tenants to-
the effect that some landlords or their agents were attempting to evade the
orders passed by the Deputy Bent Controller under section 4 ( 1 ) (b) of the
0? b ^ Rent (^ ar Restrictions, No. 2 ) Act 1918, by demanding rent in excess
oi the “Standard Bent ” fixed in respect of “ Small Premises ”, a Bent Inspector
was appointed from the 12th September 1919 to enquire into the complaints
if necessary, to institute prosecutions under section 7 of the Act against
he defaulting persons. The total number of such prosecutions instituted from
he middle of November 1919 up to the end of the year was 210 , resulting in
convictions and fines amounting in the aggregate to Bs, 6,816. Seven
cases were withdrawn and in 4 cases the accused were acquitted by the
^agistrates, while in one case the accused was warned and discharged,
eventy cases were pending at the close of the year.
2. — Poona.
\ The number of suits filed during the year was 24, of which 2 were decided
m avou ^ of landlords and 1 in favour of the tenant, and the remaining 21
w ere pending.
3. — Thana.
The two Acts have been applied to the Salsette Talnka. During the
Q^ ai SRt July 1920 rents were fixed in 59 cases. The Act worked
smoothly.