A FULL REWARD FOR THE TILLER. 399 



vileges conferred which recall feudal memories and are 

 scarcely in harmony with the spirit of modern times, at 

 any rate in democratic countries like ours, has survived. 

 What at first glance makes the machinery adopted attractive 

 to observers in other countries is the avowed principle of 

 the organisation not working for profit, which appears to 

 argue cheapness ; and, moreover, the promptness and expedi- 

 tion with which execution may be effected in cases of non- 

 compliance with terms or deterioration of the property 

 pledged. The landschaft — which was orginally composed 

 of persons exercising magisterial and indeed judicial author- 

 ity in their province — possesses powers of summary juris- 

 diction, that is, seizure of pledged properties without a 

 judgment from a Court. Experience — more particularly 

 in the Scandinavian countries but also in Germany itself 

 — has made it quite clear that such arbitrary powers are 

 not by any means needed. They may easil}^ be replaced 

 by other measures of safety not interfering with the liberty 

 of the subject. 



To balance the apparent advantages secured by landschajt 

 procedure, and by the exceptional powers conferred, there 

 are decided drawbacks inherent in the system. For instance, 

 cheap valuation by landesdlteste or ritterschaftsrdthe — who, 

 in consideration of the " position " conferred upon them, 

 draw no salary, but receive exceedingly moderate day pay 

 while actually valuing — is offset by the very doubtful value 

 of a scarcely expert valuation. The valuers are landed 

 gentlemen of the " circle," elected by their compeers, men 

 who have a general knowledge of the value of land in the 

 neighbourhood, but no thorough training. Theirs is a case 

 on a par with that of the two unskilled members of a society 

 whom our Industrial and Provident Societies Act permits 

 to act as auditors of accounts. As an alternative, the Act 

 permits auditing by one qualified accountant, whose audit is 

 now generally recognised as very much preferable, as being 

 more trustworthy. The valuation of the officers of the land- 

 schaft is low — advisedly so, according to an accepted, more 

 or less antiquated scale — in order to keep the landschaft on 

 the safe side. However advantageous this may be for the 



