SECURITY FOR OUTLAY 231 



of tenancy is what has not inaptly been termed " lazy farming," 

 of which you see little where the occupier is at the same time also 

 owner of his holding and therefore compelled in his own interest 

 to think, not only of what he can skim from the surface of the soil 

 with the least possible outlay and exertion, as representing income ; 

 but of what the land can be made to bring forth lastingly as a steady 

 yield, as representing capital. The avowed object of " lazy farm- 

 ing " is to save trouble and avoid outlay, above all things to employ 

 as little labour as possible — which it is a national interest should be 

 well employed — no matter how much productive capability be there- 

 by wasted. Make outlay secure, and there will be less fear of 

 facing expense. 



Tenancy would not, of course, in marked contrast with what 

 obtains in other countries, be nearly as common as it is in our 

 country, if it were not, on the one hand, so much of a tradition 

 surviving from feudal times ; and on the other, if it were not for 

 cash for the necessary working purposes running habitually short, 

 for want of a convenient system of credit established among us. 

 Our feudal traditions are now dying out. The old halo, which since 

 the days of the Roman Republic enveloped the possession of land 

 and gave a claim to tenure of high office, is now being dimmed to 

 vanishing point. The advance of democratic principle has shaken 

 the foundations even of that once solid fabric of landlordism, and 

 wisely enough landowners are taking advantage of favouring 

 opportunities — like those which have lately come to them — to 

 relieve themselves of what had in not a few cases already become a 

 white elephant and was certainly for the time priced far above its 

 intrinsic value to them. However, the difficulty attaching to in- 

 sufficiency of funds for acquiring ownership among competent 

 aspirants remains. The thought to which Mr. Th. Williams and 

 Mr. Strutt, and some more witnesses heard by the Royal Com- 

 mission, gave expression, after reflection, is sure to gain converts. 

 The recent almost wholesale buying of holdings by their former 

 tenants cannot by itself be accepted as a fair test, because much of 

 that buying, at any rate, was a forced, involuntary act — exempli- 

 fying once more the inherent blemishes on our present land system, 

 which fixes tenants on the horns of a dilemma. Now, although the 

 lack of funds is scarcely likely to grow less — quite the reverse, in 

 view of rising prices and additional claims on production tin* 

 financial obstacle certainly admits of comparatively easy mitiga- 

 tion, if not of total removal, by methods which have been bund 

 distinctly successful in other countries, and have, indeed, til 



