DISTURBANCE OF TENANTS 205 



regard to State assistance to enable tenants to purchase their 

 farms, they consider that the proposals embodied in Mr. Ceilings' 

 Land Purchase Bill and Mr. Trustram Eve's Minority Report 

 are preferable to recommendation No. 7* of the Majority Report ; 

 but regret that no adequate amendment of certain clauses of the 

 Agricultural Holdings Act, 1908, as advocated by tenant farmer 

 witnesses, has been recommended." 



The only step the Government were able to take was to 

 introduce a Bill in the House of Lords, and this Bill was con- 

 sidered by the Council on 4th June, 1912, when the following 

 resolution was carried with one dissentient : 



" This Council regrets to have to express its extreme dis- 

 appointment that the only remedy proposed by the Government 

 to meet the serious position of tenant farmers created by the break 

 up of agricultural estates is the totally inadequate Agricultural 

 Holdings Bill now before the House of Lords ; and urges (i.) that 

 that Bill should be withdrawn ; (ii.) that the Act of 1908 should 

 be so amended as to secure full compensation for those compelled 

 to leave their holdings ; and (iii.) that legislation to provide a 

 loan from the State for those tenants who have the opportunity 

 of purchasing their holdings should be introduced forthwith." 



In consequence of the adoption of this resolution the 

 Council appointed a Special Committee to report on the 

 necessary amendments to the Agricultural Holdings Act. Mr. 

 Samuel Kidner was elected Chairman of the Committee. 

 Its first report, presented on 5th November, 1912, was, after 

 two debates, referred back. The second report was adopted 

 by the Council on 4th November, 1913, after a motion to refer 

 it back had been negatived by 34 to 23. Its adoption, there- 

 fore, was by no means unanimous. The report was divided 

 into three parts : (a) explaining the reasons for objecting 

 to the House of Lords' Bill ; (6) proposing amendments to 

 the Act considered necessary to safeguard tenants ; and 

 (c) on the purchase of their farms by sitting tenants. The 

 following are some of the principal paragraphs : 



IN PART II. 



Under Sec. 6(2) the tenant cannot recover compensation unless 

 he has give a statutory notice ; your Committee think that the 



Recommendation No. 7 proposed to institute a scheme of State- 

 aided purchase on lines suggested by Sir Edward Holdeii, a member 

 of the Committee. 



