The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

LANDLORD AND TENANT.

At the quarterly meeting of the Devonshire Chamber
of Commerce on Friday an important discussion was
held on the relation of landlord and tenant A re-
solution in favour of landlords giving outgoing tenants
compensation for " unexhansted improvements" and
manures was proposed by the Rev W. H. Kerslake.
After several speakers had stated their OICWS, the
meeting was addressed by Sir Thomas Acland, M.P.,
who considered the subject an important one, and
showed the interest he felt in it by mentioning that he
came from the other end of Cornwall on purpose to
take part in the discussion. Having done so, however,
be confessed himself gravely disappointed. As a land-
lord he was sorry to find that the whole work of
the Chamber alma its formation had been in the
interest of landowners. '1 he one question which
occupied them seemed to have been the sup-
posed pressure on property, and but very little
had been said as yet about the interests of
agriculture. (A member referred the speaker to Mr.
Daw's lecture.) He admitted that Mr. flaw's lecture
was one of the best things the meeting,s of the Chamber
had prducetl, but he maintained that, as a general
rule, their discussions had been confined to the interests
of the landlord, and they had done very little yet in
the interests of the tenant fanner. He was obliged to
the Chamber of Agriculture for the zeal shown on be.
half of oppressed landlords by Petitioning Parliament
to take off the burden of taxation fr, no their land, and
in various other ways, but it was rather singular that
now their own interests were being considered, more of
the members were not present. He came there as a
member of Parliament in the hope of ascertaining th
wishes of the tenant farmer, but he found that very
few id thst class were present. Ile hai also hoped to
nieet some of the eminent land surveyors of which
Devensliire might justly be proud, but none were there,
and be felt deeply disappointed: He pointed out
that there was a little vagueness in the resolution sub-
mitted. He understood what was meant by " unex-
hausted improvements." They ought to have a distinct
idea of what they were talking about. (Hear.) He
knew very well what was meant by the gradual rise in
the value of land, and he was afraid a good many
tenants knew more than they liked about that, and that
was due, nut to an abstract idea of the nature of the
soil, but to the progress of commercial enterprise, and
the increased demand for land. It was that which raised
the value of land, and the number of young men who
wanted to get farms, and who were willing to give
anything for a place where they could settle down, was
intolerable. But was all that increased value of land
to be brought back and paid for by the landlord or
incoming tenant ? Was it to be laid down by the law
that it was to be bought back by the landlord when
the lease had expired? Was the lindlord to pay for
the growth in the value of land which the tenant had
nothing to do with? That was a very difficult ques-
tion, and if the Chamber would grapple with it
practically, and say what they meant, they would be
doing a great deal of good, but it was not by passing
vague resolutions that they would do anything useful.
With regard to the Irish Land Bill, the less said about
that the better. (A Voice. —Yes.) But a Land Bill
had been passed for one part of the kingdom, and a bill
may be passed for another part, and it is not well to
forget the discussion on such matters. (Hear.) In the
discussion upon the Irish Bill they could not help see-
ing that the question of the rent of land was an im-
portant item in considering the nature of improve-
ments, It was absurd to pass vague resolutions
dealing with all farms on the same footing, because
in one Me the landlord might do a great deal and
in the other nothing at all. They ought to go more
into detail. He did not seek to gain popularity by
talkii p. about tenaid right, his earnest desire was to
fielp the tenant farmer to come to a reason& de settle-
For the last thirty years be bad been endeavour-
ing to frame an agreement upon which men could
work toOther. He began it in the lifetime of his
father, who was good enough to allow him to try and
piaci: the relat:,ne between himself and his tenants on
a more defined footing in order that his tenants might
have a feeling of seetrity, but it was by no means an
easy matter. The question, as he had said, was an
extremely difficult one, and be thought it was ex-
tremely likely that Parliament would be called upon
to legislate. Believing that, he should be very careful
not to commit himself in any way, because he thought
it the duty of members of Parliament to wait until
they saw what the country really wanted and heard the
discussions on the matter before coming to a definite
opinion.
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