The Landowner 



home unless they have an income from other 

 sources than land. Such a condition is unsound, 

 and cannot last; either some means must be 

 found to make the estate pay a fair interest on 

 its capital value (market value), or the estate — 

 in part at least — must be sold and the money 

 better invested. Legislative interference may 

 have hastened the present distress, but it is not 

 the main cause of it. 



There is another feature affecting present 

 economic conditions, which I must mention, 

 although it is a dangerous and delicate subject. 



The amount of money spent on shooting, in 

 spite of the decrease of revenue, is far greater 

 than it used to be; the preserving and raising of 

 game has been reduced to a science, and the 

 lust for big bags has taken possession of men 

 who often can ill afford the sport, and who 

 endeavour to compete with the standard set by 

 richer men who take shootings in the neighbour- 

 hood. 



Still more important is the fact that on many 

 estates more game is preserved than is compat- 

 ible with the interests of agriculture. The land 

 of England should supply the foodstuff for the 

 nation, and when the head of game is so large as 

 to injure the farmer then harm is done not only 

 to the true interests of the landowner, but to 

 the country at large. No amount of monetary 

 compensation can make up for the discourage- 



17 D 



