Generally Remunerative. 85 



general success of the system. Except in such 

 buildings as required restoration from the con- 

 tinued neglect of landowners to repair — a case 

 very common both north and south — some re- 

 turn seems always to be reckoned upon, even 

 for expenditure on new buildings. On all other General 



testimony 



kinds of improvement there was a general testi- to their 



remimera 



mony to their remunerative character. And ^ive char- 

 acter. 



those of the witnesses most competent to speak, 

 the tenant-farmers, who had themselves repaid 

 the cost of the works, declared that they had 

 received from the money spent on land-improve- 

 ment much more than a return of capital and 

 interest. 



The Committee very truly remark that it is Object of 



continuing 



an anomaly that private transactions should be Govern- 

 ment con- 

 submitted to the control of a Government office, troi after 



issue of 



This was perfectly legitimate, so long as the public 



money 



money advanced was a public loan. When the ceased. 

 supply of public money ceased, and that of 

 private persons or companies was substituted, 

 the existing Government machinery of inspec- 

 tion and control, which had been found on the 

 whole to work well, was continued by Parlia- 



