70 



BOYAL COMMISSION iX AGR1CULTURB. 



28 Octofer, 1919.] 



MR. THOMAS WILLIAMS. 



[Continufti. 



EIGHTEENTH DAY. 

 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28. I'.M'.i. 



Sin WILLIAM 

 DR. C. M. DOUGLAS, C.B., 

 MR. W. ANKER SIMMONS, C.B.E., 

 MR. HKXRY OVERMAN, O.B.E., 

 MR A. W. ASHBY, 

 MR. A. BATCHELOR, 

 MB. H. S. CAUTLEY, K.C., M.P., 

 MR. GEORGE DALLAS, 

 MH. J. F. DUNCAN, 

 MR. W. EDWARDS, 



PRESENT : 

 BARCLAY PEAT (Chairman). 



MR. F. E. c;i!l.l.\ 

 'MR. T. HENDERSON, 

 Mn. T. PROSSER JONES, 

 Mi.. K. V. LKNXARD, 

 MR. GEORGE NICHOLLS, 

 MK. E. H. PARK I II 

 Mi. R. R. ROBBFNS, 

 MR. W. R. SMITH, M.P., 

 MR. R. B. WALKER. 



Mr. THOMAS WILLIAMS, representing the National 



Called and 



STATEMENT or EVIDENCE TO BE GIVEN FROM NORTH 

 WALES BT Tuos. WILLIAMS, Esq., THE GAER, 

 FORDKN, WELSHPOOL. 



15.505. I have been a farmer in Wales for L'- r > 

 years, and am well acquainted with \\Vl-li farms and 

 Welsh farmers. 



15.506. (1) Wales is pro eminently a land of small 

 holdings. By small holdings, I mean farms from 5 to 

 60 acres. 70 per cent, of the farms in Wales are 

 under [50 acres and 87 per cent, under] 100 acres, 

 and large farms are the exception. The majority of 

 Welsh farmers ore, in reality, agricultural labourers. 

 They work hard for long hours, assisted, when that 

 is possible, by their families wives, sons ^and 

 daughters. For many years the farmer in \\ 'alos 

 earned less money than his paid labourer, after 

 deducting reasonable interest for his capital. \\ ith 

 the exception of the last four or five years, the 

 majority of Welsh farmers would have earned more 

 money in almost any industry than they did from 

 their* farms. Probably in no part of the United 

 Kingdom is the attachment of the tiller to the soil 

 so prominent as in Wales. Reluctance to leave tho 

 old family homestead has boon the cause of thousands 

 of farmers continuing to slave and toil on unpro- 

 ductive farms. They will utrive in every way possible 

 to meet an often impossible rent rathor than depart 

 from the old home. Sentiment frequently over-rides 

 reason. 



16,507. (2) The recent and continuing sales of large 

 estates has greatly increased the feeling of insecurity. 

 which is always" proKont in tho mind of farmers, 

 such as I have described. Tho consequence is, that 

 farmers, \vln-n given tho op|x>rtunity, liavo Ixmght 

 their old homos, at prices which, in many instances, 

 will cripple them financially for life. Rather than 

 risk dispossession, farms have boon Wight by tho 

 tenant* at from 30 to 40 years' purchase on their 

 prrvinn^ louts. From 1,500 to 2,000 have been 

 paid for farms renting under 50. At tho first 

 figure given the interest payable on tho capital will 

 be 75. To this must bo added the cost of repairs, 

 tin- provision of new buildings, and other items 

 formerly discharged by the landlord out of his 50 

 rent. 



16,608. (3) Tho high prices paid for land is also 

 connected with tho few cottages yet standing, whoro 

 the farmer can houso his labourer. A cottage with 

 just enough land to keep two rows, situate far from 

 any village or convenience, and which for years had 

 been rented at 12 a year, was sold a few weeks ago 

 for 1,030. There was nothing in the situation of 

 the cottage, nor the circumstance*! of the sale, to 



Farmers' Union Advisory Committee for Wales, 



Examined. 



justify such a price. Farmers are precluded from 

 charging more than a few shillings a week as Tent 

 for cottages on their farms. The high price paid for 

 such cottages by outsiders whether with or without 

 land will materially add to the difficulties of tho 

 labour situation. Tho ties between farmer and 

 labourer will be considerably weakened by the im- 

 possibility of housing the labourers on .or near the 

 farm It is to the advantage of both farmer and 

 labourer that a portion of the wages of tho latter 

 should be paid in kind. In this way the la.bc.ur.-r 

 gets his milk, his potatoes, and his other vegetables 

 at wholesale prices, and the farmer gete a sale to: 

 his produce, or a portion of it, with the least possible 

 cost and trouble. 



15,509. (4) Insecurity of tenure is a- prime factor 

 in those coses of bad farming, which are sometimes 

 ni"t with. The farmer who docs not know how long 

 it will l>e before ho is served with a notice to quit 

 cannot put his capital nor his energy into tho farm. 

 Kxery farmer must look ahead, not for one y ar. 

 but several, before he can cultivate his land to the 

 best advantage, but it is impossible to do thi.s unless 

 there is a certainty in his mind that ho will be 

 allowed to reap the results of his forethought. Under 

 those conditions the farm does not got the liest out 

 of the farmer, and tho farmer d's not got tho best 

 out of his farm. The sUito of farm buildings is, 

 generally speaking, deplorable. Nothing has been 

 dono during the. last fivo years, and tho cost of repair 

 at tho present timo is prohibitive. The stooping 

 accommodation for farm lalxmrors who live in and 

 this is tho practice in nearly all parts of Wales. 

 especially with regard to teamsmen is of a primitive 

 description, tho so-called bedrooms being situated 

 over stables, or other oiit-huldiiigs. This is not OOB 

 ducivo to tho physical and moral welfare of the 

 community. 



[This rom/./'/'x tin i ri>l< nr, in chief.] 



15,610. Mr. Green: I take it that the Welsh 

 farmers fool that there is no security in guaranteed 

 prices, unless they have security of tenure? No. 

 Security of tenure is the prime factor in the whole 

 matter; but T might say that guaranteed prices will 

 help to tide over the present difficulty, to some 

 extent. 



K. .Ml. Without security of tenure gnarai, 

 prices would not. give you much security, would they-' 

 No, thoy would not give tho necessary satisfaction 

 and cnnfidot 



l. r >.512. You are still liable to be turned out of 

 your farm, even if you had planned your crops for 

 four or five years? Yes. 



