OWNERSHIP AND TENANCY. 113 



patriotic motives actuated those landowners in arriving at 

 their decision." 



Mr. Langford recapitulated the assurances given by 

 ministers and particularly by the Prime Minister in his 

 famous speech at Caxton Hall, when the agricultural policy 

 of the Government was laid down, and continued : 



All that farmers are asking is that legislative effect should be 

 given to the promises made in the Premier's speech at Caxton 

 Hall. Farmers are not asking for " fixity " of tenure, but they 

 do say that existing legislation providing compensation for 

 disturbance stands in need of strengthening. Farmers contend 

 first, that it should be adequate in any case ; secondly, that where 

 a landlord gives notice to a tenant to quit for capricious reasons 

 the compensation payable should be on a penal scale ; and, 

 thirdly, that a tenant should receive full compensation whether 

 his holding is acquired by a public authority or otherwise. It 

 is contended, therefore, that with the exception of the second 

 case defined by the Premier, adequate compensation should be 

 payable in each instance except where upon enquiry it is shown 

 that an increase of rent demanded is reasonable and is not a 

 charge upon the capital expenditure of the tenant. To give 

 effect to the two suggested scales of compensation, the following 

 amendment of Section XI of the Agricultural Holdings Act 

 (1908) is advanced : 



A tenant on quitting his holding should (in addition to com- 

 pensation for improvements, if any) receive full compensation 

 for the loss or expenses directly attributable to his quitting the 

 holding which he may unavoidably incur upon or in connection 

 with the sale or removal of his household goods, or his imple- 

 ments of husbandry, produce, or farm stock, on or used in 

 connection with the holding, and, in addition, a sum equivalent 

 to two years' rent should be paid in all cases where notice to 

 quit is given, or a renewal of a lease or tenancy is refused, be- 

 cause the land is required for public purposes or because the 

 owner wishes to regain possession of the holding in order to 

 cultivate it himself or to place a member of his family or other 

 person upon it. In cases of capricious notice to quit, or refusal 

 to renew a lease or tenancy, the sum payable in addition to com- 

 pensation for loss or expenses directly attributable to the tenant 

 having to quit his holding which he may unavoidably incur 

 upon or in connection with the sale or removal of his household 

 goods, or his implements of husbandry, produce, or farm stock, 

 on or used in connection with the holding, should be the equivalent 

 of not less than three years' rent nor more than five years' 

 rent. 



