COMPETITION DISCLAIMED BY MANY LANDLORDS II 5 



and perhaps strangles half-a-dozen other struggling men. 

 The landlord is to blame for ignoring the sound prin- 

 ciples which in the end are his own best protection as 

 well as the tenant's. 



Mr Gillespie, who has advised and occasionally acted 

 for landlords, says : " I had one instance where 30 per 

 cent, more was offered for a farm. I never looked at 

 the offer, because I thought it was far too much." The 

 theoretical justification to the landlord who takes the 

 highest bidder, is that " he gets it valued by the public, 

 and he presumes these practical men know their 

 business." 



It is unfortunately established that in Scotland, Devon- 

 shire, and other districts, the system of encouraging 

 competition to the utmost by letting farms on the 

 tender system is widely prevalent, and in some parts 

 almost universal. 



On the other hand, the best landlords and the best 

 agents repudiate this policy emphatically, and it is 

 certain from the evidence that on some, if not a majority, 

 of the best managed estates it is the definitely announced 

 policy to let farms on valuation, and to select tenants 

 mainly on the grounds of capacity, capital, and to some 

 extent of hereditary and local claims. 



Mr Punchard says : " The larger landowners have 

 been in the habit of having their farms valued periodi- 

 cally, and let upon that valuation. On the other hand, 

 the small or middle-class owner has been in the habit of 

 letting his farms by tender. Of course, where farms 

 have been let by tender, the rents hav^e gone up very 

 much more than where they have been let upon a 

 valuation." 



" One landlord may say, ' I do not want the farms put 

 up to their value; I am content to take 10 or 15 per 

 cent less than the top market price.' Whereas another 

 man, who may from necessity be obliged to get the last 

 penny he can, will naturally say : ' You must let the 

 farm by tender, and get as much money as you can.' " 



Mr Gilbert Murray says that, although there is much 

 competition for farms in Derbyshire, especially on good 



