2 24 AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION 



between an old tenant and the landlord about rent, but 

 they could only do so if they were entirely independent 

 of either landlord or tenant. With a large list, there is 

 a difficulty as to the independence. If the arbitrator has 

 to draw upon either side for his work, he must be 

 biassed. You must have him, like a sheriff, absolutely 

 above partiality." 



Again, such an official would lessen not increase 

 friction. 



" Many tenants lose a good landlord and landlords lose 

 a good tenant for the want of a mediator. That is 

 happening every day. I know of cases where had both 

 parties only known where they could have got an 

 unbiassed opinion they would have gone and asked it 

 and abided by it. Several landlords and factors during 

 my inquiry have said, ' If you could only get a person in 

 whom we had confidence, we would be only too glad in 

 case of little differences to apply to him and be guided 

 by his advice.' But his payment should not be from the 

 State ; let a stamp duty be paid on all the work which 

 he does, as in the registration of deeds. All his work 

 would be charged to the parties who employ him, and it 

 would then go into some general fund, which would pay 

 the cost of keeping up either the one, or the dozen, or 

 twenty who might be employed." 



Mr Guild : " I think it would work very much better 

 and be more satisfactory to have one for a district, and 

 he should give his whole time to it." " Four or five 

 arbiters would do very well for the whole of Scotland, 

 and if you had them sitting as a court of appeal, with 

 the addition of a sheriff or legal adviser, it would be the 

 means of getting a sound and safe judgment." 



Mr Fyshe would have State-appointed and State-paid 

 valuators for counties or groups of counties. Three of 

 the four or five necessary for all Scotland would form a 

 court of appeal. The Act would be administered from 

 Edinburgh by a local branch of the Board of Agriculture. 

 No appeals beyond this court of valuators should be 

 allowed. 



There is also a strong feeling that the practical know- 



