354 



PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS. 



[Dec. 1895. 



a few districts it appears that there is a diminished demand for 

 them. 



That in a county almost entirely devoted, except on its 

 coast line, to agriculture, the effects of the depression must 

 re-act on all classes of the community, is self-evident. One 

 index to this is that ia all parts, except those where other 

 industries or residential attractions may have absorbed a part 

 of the natural increase of population, there is stated to have 

 been a positive decrease in the number of persons who find 

 a livelihood in the county. 



Summing up shortly the evidence he received on the various 

 matters coming under the head of conditions of tenancy, Mr. 

 Eew is of opinion that there is practically no. demand for very 

 drastic alterations in the law of landlord and tenant. What is 

 mainly wanted is better security than is afforded by the present 

 Agricultural Holdings Act, as administered in Norfolk, for 

 capital expended by a good tenant in improving his holding. 

 If an outgoing tenant can be fairly reimbursed for expenditure 

 which has improved the farm he asks no more, and he certainly 

 thinks that he should receive no less. As regards conditions 

 while they are in the farm, many tenants are content in these 

 times with the power of making their own bargains ; but some 

 consider that the law should explicitly give them freedom of 

 cultivation and liberty to sell off hay and straw, provided that 

 no injury was done to the land. That the landlord must have 

 some power of veto to prevent injury to the land by an 

 unscrupulous or impecunious tenant, is generally admitted. 



A large number of suggestions were made to Mr. Rew on the 

 subject of malting barley and the beer duty, which resolved 

 themselves into a proposal to tax " substitutes " used in brewing, 

 and to put a duty on foreign barley used for malting, at the 

 same time reducing the duty on " pure " beer by an equivalent 

 amount. 



The recommendations of agriculturists and others in Norfolk 

 for the relief of the depression were generally similar to those 

 already brought under the notice of the Royal Commission in 

 respect of other counties. It was urged that the question of 

 the incidence of rates and taxes should be immediately recon- 

 sidered to meet the altered position of agriculture ; that the land 

 tax should be applied to the relief of local rates within the 

 area of its collection ; that there should be a readjustment of 

 railway rates ; that foreign meat should be marked as such 

 when offered for sale in the county ; and that the law against 

 adulteration should be more strictly administered^ especially with 

 respect to milk. A suggestion was also made that there should 

 be an international conference on the subject of bimetallism. 



