WHAT OF THE HARVEST? 321 



one hope seems now to be in Guilds of Building Operatives 

 erecting cottages, dispensing with the profit-taking builder. 



Tragic as many of these eviction cases are, fortunately 

 there is sometimes a humorous side to them. The follow- 

 ing report was given me by an eye-witness at the County 

 Court at Arundel, in 1919. 



A discharged soldier found on being demobilised Christ- 

 mas, 1918, that his wife and family, goods and chattels 

 had been removed by a farmer from one cottage to another 

 without his, or his wife's, consent. On returning home he re- 

 fused to pay rent, except from the time of demobilisation. 

 This the new owner of the farm and cottage refused to accept, 

 and summoned the discharged soldier for arrears of rent. 

 When the case came up the following conversation took 

 place between the Judge and the farmer : Judge: "How do 

 you prove your title to these cottages ? " Farmer : " I don't 

 know what you mean." Judge : " Surely you know what a 

 title is ; you've been to school." Farmer : " We bought 



the property in the name of and rent it with the farm." 



Judge : " How do you prove the cottage is yours, and that 

 this man has not as much right as you have to the cottage ? " 

 Farmer : " I moved the woman there because I wanted the 

 cottage she lived in." Judge : " You say you moved her 

 there, and dumped her and the nine children down as if they 

 were chairs or tables without proving your title to the cot- 

 tage ? " Farmer : " We bought it, your Honour." Judge : 

 " How do you prove it ? Have you the title deeds ? " 

 Farmer : " No." Judge : " Then you have no case." 

 Farmer : " But they pay no rent, your Honour." Judge : 

 " And you have not proved you are entitled to collect rent." 

 Farmer : " The man has come home and is living in the 

 cottage with his wife." Judge: " Surely you do not object 

 to the man living with his wife. You are not jealous, are 

 you ? " 



The Judge dismissed the case, advising the farmer to engage 

 counsel next time. The farmer has since admitted that he 

 never felt such a fool in his life ! 



According to calculations made in April, 1916, the number 

 of permanent full-time workers employed in agriculture 



VOL. II. Y 



