232 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 



point first of all. What has he done with his heritage 

 during the last fifty years, say; has it paid him, has it 

 brought him in that return which good property should, 

 or has it not? The landlord himself knows best! The 

 public have been led to believe that land is a bad invest- 

 ment, that in many instances it is not worth the holding, 

 and that many a big landowner, after paying the neces- 

 sary upkeep expenses on his farms, hardly gets anything 

 out of his estates. 



If this be the case then one obstacle, at least, in the 

 way of a different condition of land tenures disappears 

 automatically, as no man can reasonably expect to hold 

 on to a condition of things which is distinctly inimical to 

 his own interests. 

 Small Then what is his position in regard to sale? Can it be 



Occupying 



Ownerships proved that he would be a loser under a system of com- 

 pulsory sale to Government for the purpose of small 

 occupying ownerships? 



Let us also look into this question for a moment. 



During the last eighteen months the writer has been 

 looking for a little property and has had scores of first- 

 class agricultural estates, with excellent mansions, 

 dwelling houses, farms, cottages and farm buildings; 

 complete estates in fact, offered to him at prices varying 

 from £i^ to £28 per acre. Several of these estates have 

 been inspected and reported upon by a land expert, and 

 in every case the land was said to be good agricultural 

 land. 



It stands to reason, therefore, that when the State 

 comes in as purchaser every regard will be paid to market 

 prices. Under the Small Holdings Act of 1892, County 



