236 AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION 



cedure, not for a merely voluntary Board of Concilia- 

 tion : " There is nothing at present to prevent landlord 

 and tenant calling in a third party to value the rent, 

 but that would be conciliation which would hardly be 

 worth anything." 



An advisory board of practical men is also suggested, 

 to help the official arbitrator, where necessary, as 

 assessors. 



While desiring some form of compulsory arbitration 

 as to rents, objection was taken to a land court ; the 

 objection being partly to the name, partly because they 

 disliked public examination as to their rent in court. 

 " I think it is the name of the thing, and perhaps the 

 functions of this arbitrator may be just the land court 

 over again." 



In his report on the North Riding and Durham, Mr 

 Pringle states that " farmers insist that rents must be 

 greatly reduced. It is the general opinion that to bring 

 about a fair and reasonable reduction some system of 

 arbitration should be set in motion. Anything like 

 compulsory interference between landlord and tenant is 

 objected to, and land courts, although recommended by 

 a few, are not, generally speaking, desired. Tenants 

 prefer to arrange rents, if possible, without the interven- 

 tion of a third party, but failing a satisfactory agree- 

 ment, they feel that arbitration should be at hand. To 

 this proposal some landlords make no objection. The 

 owner of a very large estate said : " Provided that an 

 entirely impartial arbitrator could be found, arbitration 

 would not be objectionable to me." " On another large 

 estate, arbitration has already been called upon to settle 

 disputes as to rent." 



He adds : " It is to protect the tenant, who by good 

 and liberal treatment has made his farm a place to be 

 desired, from being rented on his own good management 

 that arbitration is suggested." 



An excellent farmer who pays 36s an acre, and has 

 been refused a reduction, because the landlord could get 

 the same rent from a new tenant, says the high state of 

 cultivation would enable a new man to make a profit at 



