NATIONAL TAXES 71 



country true rent has entirely vanished. This 

 view is supported by statistics drawn up 

 by Sir Robert Giffen, one of the members 

 of the Commission. "It may be fairly 

 assumed from the evidence that in the 

 opinion of our eminent colleague the 

 present rental value of agricultural land 

 (i.e., the gross rental) is appreciably less 

 than it was fifty years ago, notwithstanding 

 the continuous expenditure of capital on 

 the equipment and improvement of farms 

 and the reclamation of land." 1 



Then again, it is said : 2 " Any statement 

 as to the diminution of the rental of land 

 fails to express in an adequate degree the 

 extent of the landowners' losses." 3 



1 P. 24. * p. 26. 



3 " In many cases where rents have been readjusted 

 and much reduced, further remissions of rent have been 

 found necessary ; gifts of feeding stuffs and manures have 

 been made, arrears of rent have accumulated, and not 

 infrequently these have been written off. Farms have 



