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182
strand The London County Council introduced into
improvement. Parliament a Bill, entituled "A Bill to enable the
London County Council to widen and improve the Strand
in the County of London." A letter was received from
the Vestry of St. Martin calling attention to the clauses in
the Bill, known as the "Betterment Clauses," and was
referred to the Law and Parliamentary Committee for consideration
and report. The Bill recites that the Improvement
being effected out of public funds belonging to or
charged upon the ratepayers of the County of London will
or may increase in value lands or property fronting on or in
the neighbourhood of the Improvement but not acquired
for the purpose thereof and it is reasonable that provision
should be made under which such increased value should be
reserved wholly or in part for the ratepayers at whose expenditure
it has been produced.
The following Clauses were proposed to carry into
effect the objects of the Bill:—
(1) There shall be a Rent Charge to be called the
Strand Improvement Rent Charge which shall be fixed
ascertained charged and payable in manner therein
described. But the total of the Strand Improvement Rent
Charge shall not be of any amount which when capitalised
on such basis as the Standing Arbitrator may deem reasonable
would in his opinion exceed one half of the cost of the
Improvement.
(2) A standing Arbitrator may be appointed for the
purposes of this Act on the application of the Council by
Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department and
such Arbitrator shall be entitled to such remuneration as