CHAPTER VIII 



GREAT ESTATES 



/i rural revolution is in progress. During the last 

 five years, under the stimulus of agricultural 

 prosperity, our great landowners have begun to 

 sell their property, making excellent prices, and 

 this process is viewed in two ways. The Liberal 

 calls it beneficial, saying that the land grabber 

 is being forced to disgorge to the benefit of farmers 

 and the nation; and the Conservative says that 

 landowners, shaken by Socialistic legislation, 

 are investing their capital abroad, whilst their 

 tenants and the country are much worse off 

 than before. 



The great landlord is neither despot nor 

 octopus, as his tenants can testify, but on the 

 other hand he has not been affected, as an owner 

 of agricultural land, by recent taxation. He is 

 disposing of his estates because they are making 

 remarkably good prices. Of course there is an 

 undercurrent — but that is mainly political. 



England is the last refuge of the aristocracy. 

 Everywhere else they have lost their power, 



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