324 OBJECTIONS TO OWNERSHIP 



barrier to purchase in the case of the applications 

 for land that the Company received ; that there had 

 been a very great readiness to rent by the local 

 people, and the few demands for purchase were 

 from outsiders. 



The chief reasons brought forward to support 

 the above arguments were : 



That ownership would tie the small holder to a 

 particular holding when it might be to his advan- 

 tage to move ; that any State assistance in the 

 purchase of a holding necessitated restrictions for 

 the prevention of reabsorption and mortgaging, 

 which would give a feeling of cramped ownership, 

 likely to mitigate his desire to purchase ; that, 

 where a deposit had been made, there would be a 

 danger of his forfeiting this money through not 

 being able to keep up with the payments of the 

 quit-rent, or through the land falling in value, so 

 that the quit-rent would be a higher sum than the 

 ordinary rent for land in the district. In the case 

 of the sale of the holding under these circumstances 

 the loss would be considerable. The deposit 

 seemed necessary as a guarantee for the State ; on 

 the other hand, it would shut out many thrifty, 

 deserving men with large families, to whom it 

 would be quite impossible to find more money 

 than would stock and work the land. For these, 

 therefore, a system of tenancy was the only feasible 

 way. 



Out of eighteen witnesses examined on this point 

 eleven gave strong evidence against ownership, four 



