MR PENNANTS EVIDENCE 25 1 



that the decision of any ultimate questions which may- 

 arise will rest in their hands, must inevitably make it 

 advisable in the interests of both parties, to refer to 

 them voluntarily any arrangements as to rents, in which 

 there is a difference of opinion as to the real value of a 

 holding. 



The remarkable evidence given by Mr Pennant puts 

 the whole matter in its natural, and practical, and work- 

 able light : — 



" You want people who will give confidence to both 

 landlord and tenant. I think [official arbitrators] 

 appointed by the Board of Agriculture, who 

 would be really good men, would be very 

 valuable, because where there was a difference 

 between landlord and tenant, the parties would 

 voluntarily refer the matter to these men instead 

 of having any litigation." 

 "The great point is their knowledge and their in- 

 dependence, so that persons will have confidence 

 in their decision." 

 " They would become experts, and I think people 

 would be only too glad to refer the matter to 

 them." 

 " The sitting tenant would get what he wanted without 



any unpleasantness with his landlord." 

 "Any matter that [the parties] chose would be re- 

 ferred to a competent individual. I will take the 

 case of myself. I had spent a considerable 

 amount of capital on a farm, and improved it 

 very much ; I thought in consequence of that 

 that the rent ought to be so much ; in fact, we 

 agreed that it should be, but when the improve- 

 ments were done the tenant thought the rent was 

 too much ; we agreed to refer that to a person in 

 whom we both had thorough confidence, and he 

 decided for us, and I acted upon his decision. I 

 and the tenant were fortunate enough to find 

 such an individual. I want to create individuals 

 of that character — it can best be done by the 

 Board of Agriculture — and then I am sure that 



