WALES 19 



advantage has raised wages more rapidly than in most 

 rural districts in England. Thus the cost of production 

 has been rapidly rising, while prices have been steadily 

 falling. 



In the second place, in no part of Great Britain have 

 landlords left the main, and, in some cases, practically 

 the whole, burden of loss on the tenants so obviously 

 and completely as in Wales. The insufficient reduction 

 of rent is the universal complaint made, and, in my 

 opinion, proved by the tenant farmers whom we have 

 examined. Further, Colonel Hughes, the agent of the 

 Wynnstay estate, admitted that rents were not reduced 

 in proportion to prices, and that a serious economic 

 injustice had been done by the raising of many rents in 

 good times. 



" The tenants have to live so hard to make up a sum 

 of money. I think there is a great deal one has to do 

 in adjusting rents, because they are very unfair in many 

 places compared with others." 



Mr T. Roberts complained that while wool and sheep 

 had fallen one-half, and other produce 35 per cent., 

 farmers only received abatements of 10 to 15 per cent. 



Hill farms had actually risen in rent in spite of the 

 fall in prices. 



Mr Williams, in the Vale of Clwyd, said that the real 

 causes of the depression were high rents and low prices 

 with increased cost of labour. Abatements were only 

 10 to 15 per cent, with rare exceptions. 



Mr Jones said reductions were small, or none at 

 all, except for vacated farms, or on a few generously 

 managed estates. 



From Merioneth we hear that farmers are kept in 

 suspense till rent day, and then perhaps get 10 or 15 

 per cent. 



Mr Davies (Denbighshire) says that, although wheat 

 sold for half what it did when he took his farm, and 

 other produce had fallen heavily, rents were not materi- 

 ally reduced. Cultivation was necessarily deteriorated. 



Mr O. Price (Brecon) says the larger landlords have 

 given 10 to 25 per cent. 



