1 68 AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION 



of one of these covenants may bring the tenant to sub- 

 mission, whether as regards rent, or game preserving, or 

 any condition of tenancy. An essential part of this 

 policy has been to put obstacles in the way of the 

 Agricultural Holdings Act, and to limit the possible 

 compensation obtainable under it. 



Such a policy clearly is prejudicial to the full 

 development of agriculture, and any amending Act, 

 to be of value, must remove, or lessen as far as possible, 

 these opportunities for putting unfair pressure on 

 tenants. 



It is universally recognised by tenant farmer witnesses 

 as well as by others, that adequate protection must be 

 given to the landlord's as well as the tenant's interests, 

 and that what should be arrived at is to place the two 

 parties on a fair and equal footing. 

 The remedies suggested are several : 

 (i.) That notices of claim, for improvement by the 

 tenant, and for deterioration by the landlord, 

 should be put in on the same day, so that neither 

 side should see the claim of the other. 

 (2.) That the heads under which the landlord can 

 claim for deterioration should be specifically 

 scheduled in the same way as the tenant's claims 

 for improvements. 

 (3.) That the present limitation of " waste " in the Act 

 to the last four years of the tenancy should be 

 further restricted to the last two years. 

 (4.) That, at the beginning of every future contract 

 of tenancy, a record should be made of the con- 

 dition of the farm, the state of the buildings, 

 fences, roads, and the cultivation of the several 

 parts of the holding. 

 There is a strong consensus of opinion as to the first 

 suggestion, which has long been advocated by the 

 Central Chamber of Agriculture, and is now recom- 

 mended by its committee. The suggestion is that 

 notices should be given simultaneously by both sides. 



It is hoped that the removal of the opportunity of 

 capping the tenant's claim by a long list of dilapidations 



