OLD AND GOOD TENANTS FARE WORST IO3 



prohibitive. The compensation for his improvements, 

 which he might receive under the existing Agricultural 

 Holdings Act, or custom of the country, would cover but 

 a fraction of the loss. His motives, therefore, for abstain- 

 ing from giving notice for a reduction are overwhelming, 

 and it is clear from the evidence that in most cases these 

 motives have made tenants acquiesce in rents which de- 

 prived them of profits, and in many cases gradually 

 elbowed them out of their farms, if not actually ruined 

 them. 



To take a few of many illustrations. Mr Rowlandson 

 says : — " Tenants who have farmed highly have suffered 

 more than those who have not, because in many cases 

 they have not got that proportion of reduction of rent, 

 which some of those who farm badly have received." 

 " Advantage has been taken when the farm is in a good 

 state, where the tenant will not leave if he can come to 

 any reasonable terms." 



Mr Hutchinson (North Riding), who won the first 

 prize for the best managed farm at the Royal Agricultural 

 Show, 1883, says : — " I know that the men who farm the 

 best get the least. In the case of the estate I am on, 

 I get the least reduction of any tenant, because I farm 

 my place well. I have invested a lot of money in it. 

 Because I farm my land well, I dare not give it up in 

 order to try to get the rent reduced, because there are 

 plenty of men who would take it at my rent. They 

 would take it to get money out of it." 



Mr Riley : — " The good tenants are suffering more than 

 the bad ones, for if a good tenant, who has been farming 

 very high, gives notice for a reduction of rent of his 

 farm there would be no end of applications for it ; so 

 that he dare not give up a farm now, he would rather 

 lose a little more capital than give it up." 



Mr Lander : — " Agents do not sufficiently consider the 

 case of old tenants. In many cases they let the old 

 tenant go, and put men in without sufficient capital, or 

 other qualifications to farm in the best way. This is 

 often done to keep up a standard of rent, which they 

 can quote to other tenants." 



