POSSIBLE CRITICISMS 291 



tenants. He certainly might ; but I think it equally 

 certain that the agent would dislike the idea of collect- 

 ing from 100 or more tenants instead of one ; that he 

 would want to be paid a higher commission ; that 

 losses of rent would be sustained ; that the land-owner 

 would be called on to do a good deal more in the shape 

 of improvements ; and that in the long-run he might 

 not gain anything financially. The average large land- 

 lord, also, would hardly care to incur the risk of losing 

 his good name in the county. A small land-owner 

 and especially one devoid of conscience might ; but a 

 responsible syndicate would not be likely to deal with 

 such a person, as it is the essence of the South Lincoln- 

 shire system that the syndicate should be able to lease 

 large farms on an estate, at the same rent as would be 

 charged to a large farmer. 



The risks involved in tenancy by the intermediate 

 association, in preference to purchase, are not therefore 

 so serious as might be supposed ; while against them 

 may be set the greater simplicity in procedure, the 

 absence of any necessity to raise capital, and the 

 charging of lower rents to the actual occupiers. There 

 would, perhaps, be greater reason for criticising the 

 South Lincolnshire Association on the ground that it 

 rests on the life of one man Mr. Winfrey, now M.P. 

 This is admitted to be a weak point, however long that 

 gentleman may, happily, be spared to preside over the 

 well-being of an organization to which he has devoted 

 so much energy ; and as I write these lines I hear that 

 a proposal is being mooted for changing the association 

 into a registered co-operative body. Another important 

 point is that such groups of tenants should, emphatic- 

 ally, form themselves into co-operative agricultural 

 societies for the purposes of combined purchase, trans- 

 port, and sale. 



19 2 



