DANGERS OF DUAL-OWNERSHIP 29 



conditions that make such a procedure pos- 

 sible. 



Any innovation, which secures by Statute 

 for the farmer a permanent occupation of the 

 liolding he cultivates, would ultimately tend to 

 relegate the landlord to a position of a mort- 

 gagee with no concern for the welfare of his 

 tenants beyond the collection of rents. The 

 interest in his property the landlord now so 

 proudly holds would have resolved merely into 

 a fixed charge on the holdings the farmers 

 occupy. Such a system eradicates all the 

 traditions which contributed to the success of 

 the old procedure, and leaves only those evils 

 which undoubtedly are to be found. Dual- 

 ownership would at once be set up with all 

 the disputes and difficulties attendant thereto. 

 In Ireland, where the tenant owns the build- 

 ings and cannot be evicted by his landlord 

 except under untoward circumstances, this 

 system was tried and has been found wanting. 

 And it is to be feared that the tenure of agri- 

 cultural land in this country may gradually drift 

 to this entirely unsatisfactory method. Under 

 it Irish agriculture relapsed for many years to 

 a condition which, it is hoped, will never be 



