ARBITRATION COMPULSORY OR VOLUNTARY 235 



dispute, and that land valuers should be appointed to 

 arbitrate, were adopted at South Molton and Barnstaple. 



Here, as in Lancashire, all the issues have not been 

 thought out. Mr Rew says : " Many who voted for 

 the resolution did so with a vague idea that when a 

 landlord refused to grant a reduction of rent an appeal 

 might be made by consent of both parties to an official 

 valuer, who would decide the matter in a friendly way." 

 Others obviously wanted compulsory arbitration with 

 enforceable decisions as to rent. 



Mr Pringle, whose striking statements as to the inse- 

 curity of the improving tenant have been quoted earlier 

 in this report,^ states that the tenant farmers of the South 

 Midlands submitted to him that " unless something is 

 done to fortify the position of the good tenant, and pro- 

 tect him when disputes about rent arise, we need not 

 expect capital to be invested in farming. They desire 

 not the shadow but the substance of security.'' 



He adds : " I have no reason to believe that landlords 

 as a body would oppose the introduction of any reason- 

 able system for the better security of the sitting tenant." 



" Already the propriety of arbitration has been ad- 

 mitted by some landlords ; in some agreements of recent 

 preparation all matters in dispute are referred to arbitra- 

 tion." 



The general view of the farmers is, that the best way 

 of overcoming the difficulties of settling disputes about 

 rent or other matters would be by " an arbitrator in the 

 service of the State, and with local knowledge." " Be- 

 yond the question of fair rent, and what might be called 

 ' disturbance of the sitting tenant ' there did not appear 

 to be any other matters seriously requiring settlement." 



As in other districts, the farmers had not closely 

 thought out the procedure. 



Arbitration would, apparently in their view, mean 

 that where farms had to be revalued for future rent, this 

 should be done by an impartial official, instead of by a 

 man selected by the landlord. 



Mr Pringle thinks the desire is for compulsory pro- 

 ' Pringle Beds, etc., pp, 60, 61. 



