234 AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION 



In Lancashire, where the movement in this direction 

 has grown into an important organisation, extending also 

 to Cheshire and Cumberland, there has been a widespread 

 demand for fair rents to be fixed by arbitration, in some 

 reasonable relation to the prices of produce. For this 

 purpose a land court is suggested, and fixity of tenure, 

 and free sale are associated with the proposal. 



In Lancashire, and also in Cumberland, where the 

 Farmers' Association favours a land court to determine 

 rents, it appears that the details of any scheme have not 

 been unanimously agreed on, and there is divergence 

 of opinion. Fair rent and fixity of tenure, it was held 

 by some, would naturally follow from absolute security 

 for improvements. " They had no other object in view 

 in asking for an arbitration court for rent than to 

 prevent men from bidding a higher price than the land 

 was worth." The president of this association thought 

 " they would be satisfied with some form of voluntary 

 arbitration, to which landlords and tenants could appeal 

 to settle a question of rent." 



But the essential point to notice is that there is a 

 universal sense of grievance as to rents, for which some 

 solution should be found. Mr Bird, a Westmoreland 

 farmer, probably expresses the view in saying that, 

 "though he was against a land court, the feeling was 

 growing in favour of arbitration, owing to rents not 

 having been adjusted to the present price of produce." 



In Dorset, Mr Rew reports a resolution : " That some 

 court of appeal be formed, to which a tenant might apply, 

 without prejudice to his occupation, for a re-assessment 

 of his rent, or for the adjustment of any other grievance." 

 A land court was also suggested, because improving 

 tenants could not get the same reduction of rent as bad 

 farmers. 



The evidence collected by Mr Rew in North Devon 

 throws much light on the real drift of opinion. The 

 general letting of farms by tender, and the keen com- 

 petition thus provoked, leads to frequent " protests 

 against the present rents as excessive." 



Resolutions in favour of arbitration in all cases of 



