76 OUR ENGLISH LAND MUDDLE. 



ernment can afford to lend it. I have no 

 doubt you will carry in your mind that 

 under the present law the purchasing tenant 

 has to find one-fifth of the purchase money. 

 Now we believe that that one-fifth has 

 hitherto been the great stumbling-block in 

 the way of land purchase. Where is the 

 farmer to find that one-fifth ? He wants 

 the whole of his capital to improve his 

 holding. If he wants more he has to 

 borrow it, probably at a stiff rate of in- 

 terest. A very remarkable report has lately 

 been laid before Parliament. That is the 

 report of the Small Holdings Commissioner, 

 Mr. Cheney, and he goes to show that in 

 the year 1912 there passed through his 

 office 4,070 small holdings transactions. 

 Would you believe it that of those only 

 70 were for purchase, complete ownership, 

 and the remaining 4,000 for tenancy ? To 

 my mind that is conclusive. Nothing will 

 induce me to believe that only one English- 

 man out of 60 or 70 desires to acquire his 

 land for his own when he is given the choice 

 between doing so and renting it from a 



