COMPENSATION FOR DISTURBANCE 213 



bankruptcy, may drive out a tenant who has built up an 

 important business connection. 



Other grounds stated by tenant farmer witnesses are 

 the eviction of tenants for action taken in regard to the 

 enforcement of the Ground Game Act, and resistance to 

 illegal agreements in violation of that Act ; or again for 

 political or religious motives, of which several instances 

 have been brought before us. 



Mr Barlow thinks there should be compensation where 

 a tenant is forced to quit, capriciously or otherwise, and 

 whether the disturbance is because of killing rabbits, or 

 because of excessive rent, or any other cause. 



Mr Kidner thinks that the loss of business and family 

 connections, and the heavy money loss of removal, create 

 a strong motive compelling a tenant to consent to pay 

 excessive rents ; thinks there should be compensation 

 "when a man cannot stay on his holding, either from 

 not being able to get his rent properly adjusted, or 

 because the landlord wants to remove him from any 

 cause whatever, except in the case of bad farming. The 

 compensation for his improvements on quitting would 

 not nearly meet his loss in general." 



Mr Long advocates compensation for disturbance 

 equal to trade loss, where an owner reserves a farm for 

 his own use, and turns out a farmer who has established 

 a business connection. 



Mr Bear, who prefers "free sale" as the measure of 

 tenant's improvements, and the best method of securing 

 the tenant's interests, says that if " free sale " is not 

 granted, you should have compensation for disturbance 

 when a landlord gave notice to quit, because a tenant 

 was carrying out improvements which were shown to be 

 for the benefit of the holding. 



Mr Wilkinson, while not advocating fixity of tenure, 

 thinks a tenant has insufficient security, and is often 

 compelled to accept unjust, and unreasonable, and 

 vexatious conditions, and unjust rents, rather than leave 

 the farm, and suffer great loss and expense. " I think 

 the tenant should be protected from arbitrary notice to 

 quit by being allowed compensation for disturbance. 



