50 



\i\ \1. i OMMISSIO.N III. I I II UK. 



Ociobrr, I'.'l'.i; 



Mi i: M NOSSF.I.KY. 



muni. 



SEVENTEENTH DAY. 



I. <><!,, IJKI: ils-r, r.'l'.i. 



SH. ttll.UAM 

 I)B. C. M. DOt Gl.AS. C I'- 



MB. (;. G. KKA, CM: i: 



MK. \V. ANKKK SIMMONS, ( 

 MK HKNKY OVKKMAN, O.B.K. 

 MB. A. \V. AS1II1V. 

 MK. A. UATCHKLOR. 



M H. S. ('AITI.KY. K.C.. M.I'. 

 MB. (JKi'llCI. DAI, I. AS. 

 Mi.. .1 I HIM AN. 

 MB. W KDWAKDS. 

 MB. V. K. GliKI \ 



PRESENT : 



I'.AIU I.AV I'KAT (t'h,,mn). 



MB. .1 M. MKNDKItM'V 



MB. i. n I:M>I-,I!-' i\ 

 MB. T. I'linssKU JONES 

 MB. K. \V. I.ANCKOHD. 

 MB. H. V. KKNNAIJD. 



MB. GKniiGi-: \K -MOLLS. 



MK. K. II. I'AKKKK. 



Mu. 1!. li. U<>i;m.\>. 



MB. \V. If. SMITH, M.I'. 



MB. K. U. WAI.KKU. 



Mr. K. M. N'l'NNKi.KY, Kari.li>.-. of WeUingbOTOOgh, Xorthant.s, called and examined. 

 (Mr. H. G. Howell, F.O.A., Director of the Agricultural Costings Committee, was als-i p.. 



I'liiiiniinii: Mr. Howell, the, Commission has 

 decided to ask you to be present while Mr. Nuuneley 

 and the other tanner give evidence; and it may b.' 

 that some of tho Commissioners may wish to ask 

 you some questions on the larmer.s' evidence, or 

 that you may be able to elucidate some point of 

 their evii!' 



14,882. Mr. Xunneley. Mr. Unwell has pros. 



.arming acoount.s tor you. Will you allow me 

 to incorporate them in your evidence*!- Yes, cer- 

 tainly. 



Then Mr. Kdwards will begin asking questions. 



1 l.-s.'i. Mi-. h'.,limnh: In what part of the country- 

 is your farm .situated!- Northamptonshire, between 

 ring and Wollingborough. 



14,8*4. What is the nature of the land?- Generally 

 speaking, heavy clay land; but three years ago the 

 Home Farm, which I had occupied for nearly 40 

 years, was sold away from me, and 1 was turned out. 

 I then took an adjoining farm, which is more lime 

 stone; so that tho 1918 figures refer to a rather 

 different holding to the previous figures. I nta n 

 about !-"" v hat I hid before, but .TJii 



or more are trosh since l!M'l, and they are principally 



BnMgtoM. 



1 t."."i. What is the general nature of your method 

 of farming:- Is it mixed farming: \- '.cry mixed. 

 It is principally rearing stock, and corn grow ing and 

 wheat more than anything else. I have very little 

 feeding grass land; practically none. 



ll.--ii. While you are on the matter, you said just 

 now that the farm which you had boon occupying 

 for in years was sold? 'i 



1 I. 1 **?. As one of our loaders. I should like to have 

 your view as to whether you think, under the cir- 

 cumstances, you got anything like a fair con.| 

 tion when you left, for the work that you hail put in 

 that land for W years?- No. I certainly do not think 

 I did. though 1 will say one thing at once. 1 

 followed my uncle, who was the owner of the land 

 and had farmed it very well indeed hetoro. -o that 

 it was in good condition when I took it. and I think 

 I am entitled to say 1 left it in unite as 

 condition. 



14,888. You did not buy it yourself:-- I did not. 

 1 had no: the <.pj>ort unity : they said thev wore 

 obliged to nell it by auction as trustees, and bound 



See Appendix No. IT. 



to get the highest price they could, and they thought 

 tho\ would make more of it by selling the farm in 

 live dilferciit lots, no one of which was sullicient to 

 keep up the house and buildings. I should have 

 bought it al a fair price: l.ut I was n,,; prepan-d to 

 give so much as one or t>vo people in the neighbour- 

 hood, who did not require the farm as I did. to make 

 a living out of it. I may say it was bought by a 

 manufacturer for a pleasure farm. Ho said he 

 wanted it to g.. and kill rabbits on, or something 

 of that sort. 



1 I.-----V. Do you say that your farm, which had been 

 farmed by you for 4(1 year's, and by your uncle pro 

 \iounly as a well-developed farm, has been purchased 

 by a gentleman who wants it for the pleasure of kill- 

 ing rabbits!- Perhaps I ought not to say th.it : but I 

 to him just after he bought it : " You have given 

 a biggish price for it," and he said : " That does not 

 matter. 1 wanted a nice home tor my daughter who 

 has just got married, and I wanted a bit of sport. 

 killing rabbits, anil MI on." nearly as I can 



are his words. 



1 I. -*!. Looking al yinir figures, you cannot 

 that you have boon farming at a ' me of the 



witnesses have sal ily. |-'or three or 



four tween !*.! and ]S<(1 1 think I show a 



i positive loss. 



I l.^iKI. I quite see that. because I rememlicr the 

 time very well- 3 en I \i.\-- not had a positive 



I Jiave not had a positixe lo-s in any yea. 

 about 1 >>(> or 17. 



11.-!l|. Wo shall pi.ss,l,ly ask Mr. Unwell later on 

 about the figures. What do you think are the 

 factors t! .ho fooling of unrest that is un- 



doubtedly prevailing at the present moment amongst 

 the farmers of ibis country 'r At the p -mont 



the principal thing, of course, is tho selling of land: 

 bill over since 1 have known farming there has 

 always boon a fooling of iiisooiirily ammmst tenants. 

 I -.-If. the whole of the time I bad this farm, had 



knew at the death of mv 



n by marriage, who was ].', years older than T 

 MI all probability it would bo sold. Of 

 that naturally a feeling of insecurity the 



whole time. 



t in your case the fact is. throughout 



i in which you handled, you 



in a position to launch out and exert 



