BOARD OF AGRICULTURE TO APPOINT 2 27 



The arbitrator must be so placed that any possibihty of 

 showing favour or manipulating awards will be prevented. 

 His awards must state fully the reasons which have 

 guided him in his decisions. He must be a servant of 

 the State, employed, paid by, and accountable to 

 Government. He must be familiar with the value of 

 land and the customs of farming in the district." 



The court, or board of assessors, should be composed 

 of representatives of landlords and tenants, to advise 

 and assist the arbitrators in doubtful cases. The general 

 feeling was that the arbitrator should be appointed by 

 the Board of Agriculture, and the assessors by the 

 county councils. 



Another method is suggested by Mr Lander, from 

 Shropshire, and Mr Kidner from Somerset, both of 

 whom wish an official arbitrator to be appointed by the 

 district council for each district. The parties might act 

 as their own valuers, and have this official as the umpire. 

 Mr Kidner seems to think the arbitrator could be 

 elected in some way by the parties interested. He 

 would be paid by both sides on a fixed scale. Mr 

 Middleton also wants to have some choice in the 

 selection of these men. 



Mr Druce thinks the appointment of all umpires 

 ought to be made by the Board of Agriculture ; the 

 umpire in these cases ought to be a man who has the 

 imprimatur of his capacity stamped upon him by the 

 Board of Agriculture. There should be a certain 

 number of men nominated by county councils in every 

 county, and approved by the Board of Agriculture, and 

 every reference under the Act should be to one of these 

 men. In that way you would get as strong a man as 

 possible, and do away with a desire for an appeal. The 

 stronger you make the arbitrator or umpire in the first 

 instance the better. 



He favours the plan of settlement by a single referee, 

 and that the referee should be selected from the official 

 list, not by the choice of the parties, but in rotation. 



Mr Rowlandson, Mr Lipscomb, and others support 

 generally the recommendation of the Central Chamber 



