2l6 agricultural depression 



Law of Distress. 



Many practical witnesses have expressed their opinion 

 that the total abolition of the law of distress would be of 

 great benefit to agriculture. 



" I would abolish the law of distress in the first instance, 

 so that the landlord and the tenant should be on an 

 equal platform in making the original bargain as to rents." 



" It not only increases unfair and unsound competition 

 for farms, but directly leads to bad farming." 



" The abolition of the law would tend to reduce rents, 

 perhaps lo per cent, and would bring in men with real 

 capital."! 



Mr Sheldon thinks that the great advantages in credit 

 and in other ways, would more than counterbalance any 

 change in the way of paying rents more promptly, and 

 of late years arrears are not generally allowed. 



" The landlord, as preferential creditor, is taking in the 

 form of rent the interest on his capital, whereas another 

 creditor may lose, through that action of the landlord, 

 not only his interest but his principal. I have known 

 cases where the landlord has actually seized and taken im- 

 plements and machines, sold to a tenant by a neighbour- 

 ing agricultural machine maker, who has lost the whole." 



The lessening of competition would, in Mr Kidner's 

 opinion, promote better farming. 



Mr Kay condemns the present law, as stimulating 

 competition by unsubstantial men, and leading to other 

 creditors not being paid, while the landlord secures 

 payment in full. He does not think the abolition of 

 distress would cause rents to be paid in advance. It 

 would operate to cause the agent or landlord to make 

 more careful inquiries in selecting tenants. 



Mr Bear and the leading northern farmers, Messrs 

 Rowlandson, Scott, Wilkinson, Forster, and also Messrs 

 Lander, Olver, Brown, and Wyatt from the south and 

 western counties, all desire the abolition of this power. 

 So does Mr Owen Williams in Wales, with qualifications. 



Mr Dutfield and others do not think abolition would 

 ' Carrington Smith, 9782.93, etc. 



