THE ACT COSTLY AND UNCERTAIN l6l 



rent, Mr Speir states, is made use of frequently by 

 landlords to contract themselves out of the Act, the 

 tenant agreeing to forego his claim under the Act on 

 receiving an abatement in his rent. 



Mr Hope says : "When the present Act was passed, 

 it was regarded as a great boon to British agriculturists. 

 The principle of the Act is admitted to be sound, but 

 it is universally felt that the Act has conspicuously failed 

 to secure the main ends for which it was intended." 



Mr Stuart : — " The Agricultural Holdings Act should 

 be improved out of existence. Its principle and intention 

 seem fairly good, but it utterly fails to secure tenants' 

 improvements." 



And the main portion of the able evidence given by 

 Scotch witnesses at the sittings in Edinburgh was 

 directed to urgently demanded amendments of the Act. 

 It is obviously in much wider operation in Scotland than 

 in England, and a much closer attention has been given 

 CO the subject. 



Mr Hope represents the general opinion that " the 

 thorough amendment of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 

 as the only certain means of giving tenant farmers the 

 fullest encouragement to invest their capital in develop- 

 ing to the utmost the resources of their holdings, is by 

 far and away the most important measure that can be 

 passed by Parliament in the interests of agriculture." 



The procedure of the Act is very generally condemned 

 as costly, cumbrous, and uncertain. " The expenses of 

 working the Act are far too great." ^ Mr Riddell's impor- 

 tant compensation case cost him ;^200, though he was 

 not charged a penny by his own witnesses, the award 

 being ^^"1063. 



Thus witnesses say : " We want some easier and 

 cheaper way of obtaining compensation for improve- 

 ments." 



" Tenants are afraid of litigation ; what is wanted is a 

 simpler form of settlement." 



" Lawyers are called in, and a great many witnesses 



' Davidson, 51,157 ; Wilson Fox, Garstang, pp. 19, 21 ; Gilchrist, 53,038. 

 Olver, 37o7o-i. 



