PAPALSCOPE RANTS ON RENTS

Martins Money Tips advise,

'Rents continue to rise-there at record highs with average £790/mth nationally and an eye-watering £1,240/mth in London.'

One reads that the new minimum work rate for any employee between the ages of 18-20 is £5.30 an hour. Such a sum is a lot more than I or my contemporaries earned A WEEK ,as twenty year olds, in an ever so smart City Job with a Lloyds Insurance Broker in 1954, working as we did then, a five and a half day week. Prior to their then employment, most had held National Services commissions in one of the Services. One fellow still held his, as an excuse for going to sea for two weeks in the summer.. Believe he became the Managing Director of a different Insurance Broker some time later.

I left that employ after maybe eight years, because even then ones weekly wage was still little more than £5. gross. One had only remained in one's employment, because one wished to work in the then New Lloyds Building. Alas even that was soon after put to other use, for Lloyds had a re-build on its original site.

In the early 1950's people earned less money than they do now. I as a twenty year old, earned £270.00 pa. (Together with 15/- per week in Luncheon vouchers.) That amount being gross pay prior to all tax, and pension deductions. One then worked some forty four hours a week. Ones purchase of an £80 per annum season ticket covered ones travel costs, the main cost of the 28 1/2 hours one spent travelling to and from work each week. For that sum one might have spent as long as one cared to on the trains, indeed I recall so accommodating myself down and up, after a Party one Friday night. But of course in those days our Great Western Line was adversely affected by both the fog and domestic smoke one passed en route. Even so, overall one spent at least 72 1/2 hours about ones work each week. House rents were still controlled , both rich and poor retained their pre-war tenancies, many of which were supposedly on short term leases started in the depression years of the 1930's. Families might occupy a three or four bedroom house, in the most desirable of Commuter Thames Side villages for maybe as little as £60. gross per annum, (less standard rate income tax deductable at source, and schedule A and or B) These rents had been so controlled since the outbreak of war in 1939. I recall that my elder brother had a furnished room in Earls Court for 10/- per week into the 1950's. 'Rackmanism' came later.

How though are these reported expected rentals of £790 or £1,240 per month paid when the new standard minimum wage for anyone over the age of 25 is £7.20 per hour. Not sure that even the new enhanced pay scale will cover that. Very possibly some houses are shared, whilst others are funded by the social services. Seemingly the Government gives such funding to the claimant, rather than directly to the property owner. Often enough the legitimate claimant fails to hand the money on to his landlord, and if one is to believe the many Television programmes one sees, the property owner takes his tenant to the courts, and if it be the High Court, the tenant may be out on the street without further notice. So he or she avails him or her self ,of the housing department of a local Council, which then puts the erring tenant and family into a hostel or hotel at public expense. If all this isnt the height of stupidity, heaven help us . PLEASE WILL GOVERMENT GET ITS ACT TOGETHER?

It is very easy to criticise others whilst doing nothing helpful oneself, however there was a time I had involvement at a small time landlord. One gave up being so because,

        OUR VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS SEEM INCOMPETENT .

ELECTORAL DISTEMPER

' Birthdays' listed in the Times or Telegraph tend to confuse. How can it be that some days, none listed are older than one is oneself, whilst on others several may so be. What though of all the aged and seemingly haggard strewn about one, are some older than one hears tell, or do some just seem older than one knows oneself to be ?

Prior to 1980 one lived in The New Forest area of Hampshire County, and being minded to do ones bit, thought to attempt to become an Independent District Councillor in two successive elections. One was not elected on either occasion, despite being but pipped at the post for the second election, but probably that was because no Liberal stood against me and two Conservatives. However never did one loose ones interest in local affairs.

One noted that on the 2^nd May 2013, the only candidate of the 79 returned to the Wiltshire Council who received more votes than I did in the New Forest District Council Election in 1979, was County Councillor George Jeans of Mere. Such trivia makes one wonder how the Conservative Party retains Wiltshire with so few votes. No wonder its Chair was rewarded with a seat in the House of Lords.

One notes that there is to be a County Council By election in Amesbury East on the 5^th May next. After the 2013 election that seat was held by a Conservative who had an overall majority of 24 votes . What one may wonder is it that makes WILTSHIRE ELECTORALY Moribund ? One vote is sufficient to win an election, however, surely it is time that Wiltshire became a contentious area.

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One also notes that Tisbury Village is yet again one presumes, to co-opt a replacement Parish Councillor. However many does that make, that sitting councillors rather than the public will have voted into office. One realises that problems do arise, however every sudden departure from the Council does make one wonder if our electoral process is all it might be. I personally believe that an elector should either vote for a full house, or forego his or her right to vote at all. I do not think it is right for any of us to be too selective in our choices, or vote as some did at the last public election for but one or two favoured parish candidates, thus skewing the worth of others. Is one to wonder why so many do not offer their services to the community?

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Some years after leaving Hampshire, and well passed the age of 70, I was asked whether I wished to become a Magistrate there ? Maybe there is a younger generation available for all councils and offices etc, so how about encouraging some of the younger generation here, rather than recruit more of the same? 26.4.2016