I 62 AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION 



examined, who might be dispensed with," the remedy- 

 would be a " sinfjle arbitrator appointed at once." 



"The expenses are excessive, especially where you 

 come in contact with the antiquated forms of agree- 

 ment." 



"Both landlords and tenants prefer not to conclude 

 tenancies under the Act, because of the fearful amount 

 of legal uncertainty." 



" It has been found both dilatory and expensive, and 

 has spread dismay amongst the farmers as regards the 

 Act." 



"The expenses include cost and entertainment of 

 witnesses and of referees ; a valuer away from home two 

 or three days requires from twenty to twenty-five 

 guineas." 



" I never saw a man make anything out of a claim 

 under the Act ; he might win the day, but he was in 

 reality a loser." 



" The expense is extreme — there is no end to the 

 witnesses." 



The Act does no good except to the arbitrators ; " if 

 you get them sitting, you cannot get them up again. If 

 you make a claim, the landlord will make a counterclaim, 

 and then they go to arbitration, and so waste all the 

 money." 



" The procedure is costly and risky." 



Mr Speir says that the procedure must be made much 

 simpler, and you must have an official valuator. 



" The real difficulty is that the landlord's counter- 

 claims are generally excessive, and lead to a lot of 

 expense." 



Mr Kay states that in a "friendly arbitration" "he 

 was awarded, as tenant, ;^I25, while the landlord's 

 counterclaim was cut down to £lo, but each side had to 

 pay £2,0, besides all the private witnesses' expenses, and 

 this for only two days' work." 



Mr Davidson refers to a case in Scotland where an 

 award of ii"2CK) cost £1^0 in the expenses incident to 

 the arbitration. He adds : " as a general rule the 

 arbiter's fees are a comparatively small proportion of 



