RISKS TO THE STATE 245 



some years to show whether or not it was worth pay- 

 ing for at all. Such provisions as these are of the 

 nature of dual control over the farm, which is bad for 

 all concerned. It must be borne in mind also that 

 there are unfair tenants as well as unfair landlords. 

 In many districts there are men who do anything but 

 justice to the land they occupy, and though they might 

 be made liable for bad farming, yet it would be difficult 

 for a landlord to get any compensation from such men 

 at the end of the tenancy. After the most stringent 

 law had been made in favour of a yearly occupier, the 

 landlord would remain master of the position through 

 his power to raise the rent of an inconvenient tenant 

 or by giving him notice to quit. An examination of 

 the subject in all its bearings must inevitably lead to 

 the conclusion that it passes the wit of man to frame 

 a measure, under the landlord and tenant system, that 

 shall avoid injustice and loss either to landlord or 

 tenant. The Land Purchase Bill would effectually 

 dispose of all these difficulties. Indeed, under it, they 

 would not arise. 



These difficulties are dealt with at length in the 

 recent Report of the Committee on the " Fruit 

 Industry of Great Britain."^ This Committee seems 

 to have spared no pains in carrying out its work. 

 The witnesses were carefully selected and gave 



1 Cd. 2589, 1905. The Committee was appointed by Lord Onslow in 

 December, 1903. It was composed of Mr. Grififith-Boscawen, M.P. 

 (Chairman) ; Mr. RadcHfife-Cook ; Mr. J. M. Hodge ; Colonel Long, M.P. ; 

 Mr. G. Monro ; Mr. Pickering, M.A., F.R.S. ; Dr. W. Somerville ; Mr. E. 

 Veriton ; and the Rev. W. Wilkes, M.A. (Secretary of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society). 



The reference to the Committee was "To report upon the present 

 condition of Fi-uit Culture in Great Britain, and to consider whether any 

 further measures might with advantage be taken for its promotion and 

 encouragement." 



