The Organisation oj the Industry. 15 



If confirmation of the view that the landowners have 

 failed in the function of manag-ing- their estates is required, 

 we find it in the widespread demand put forward by the 

 farmers for security of tenure and judicial rents. They 

 are not prepared to trust their capital and industry to the 

 management of the owners of land. If the demand for 

 security of tenure and judicial rents were put forward by 

 the unenterprising and timid section of the farmers, it 

 would not be so important, but when it is put forward by 

 the most enterprising and alert section of the farming 

 community, is a significant proof of the breakdown of 

 the estate system on the side of management. " It is a 

 significant fact," says the Minority Report of the Royal 

 Commission on Agriculture, 1919, " that, almost without 

 exception, the farmers who have given evidence before 

 us have insisted on the necessity for greater security of 

 tenure being given to farmers. This insistence is quite 

 as strong on the part of the farmers in Scotland, where 

 the leasehold system is prevalent, as on the part of the 

 farmers of England and Wales with their yearly tenancies. 

 It is impossible not to recognise that there is no subject 

 on which farmers are so unanimously in agreement." 

 The recent Agriculture Act is merely the latest attempt 

 by legislation to protect the tenant against the landlord. 

 Legislation limiting the powers of owners over agricultural 

 land has been steadily growing until now the balance is 

 swinging over to public control because of the failure of 

 the private owners. 



It has been claimed for the landowners that they were 

 the pioneers of improvement in agriculture in this country. 

 There were certainly outstanding figures amongst the 



