, 1880-03-13

nfnfTYLNn- va HsAA ~tSYS - Dhrr fM~v1k >sS
olsats5b s inst nnst u nnnenntali.iieea' pro proceeding even
stSdlrectly from the, landlord. !, am not
satPeaking Of Ulster men,, or Of the men of
yIigPerary. But it appears to me that a
governing e factor in any proposition for
improving the agriculture Of Connaught
must De its adaptabiIity to the nature and
nabits OF the people whose practice is to
roe lremodelled. ! am quite aware that
though repugnance to alterations and i'm
pTovernents characterizes the Irish %cottier,
the FAULT is not altogether on his side, l
have learnt enough of the treatment he
frequently receives at the hands of middle
men, sub-agents, and drivers. as we'll AS by
certain classes Of owners, to see that more
ca e should have been taken to retain his
confidence in his superiors. Fear of the
fapacity OF the landlord is the stock ex-
cnse OF the little farmers for every default
40 their careless, nnprogressive manage
fnent /: and anxious to ascertain The truth,
IN the parts of the country which 1 have
visited, / am reluctantly compelled to
conclude that there does exist enough
OF greedy aad unjust Treatment Of tenants
TO back op the complaint, without this
being at all ~charseab.e against The bulk
OF Irish lwoprietors. Perhaps the worst
sntinenoe over a tenantry, pal pably reqair-
ing for the present some guidance and
tute'age, may be that estate management
WHICH pleasas them by leaving them
pretty much alone; and. as I shall
point cut, the most hopeful indications IT
enhancement are presented where the
owners and their agents actively engage
IN measures for promoting better farming
0y occuplers who ere open to their recon-
mendations and advice. There is only a
portion Of truth in the outcry that dread of
rack renting keeps back all attempts at
Improvement. % most, though not all, of
The large estates the rents, from an English
point OF view, appear to be reasonable
and often light. In very many instances
tenants have admitted, in reply to my
Inquiries, that their rents have not been
raised for q considerable number Of years
% the other hand, it is quite true that
many landlords, frequently men holding
comparatively small properties, and whose
names are not important enough to nave
been heard ofin England, do take advan-
tage Of TIE necessities of the farmers posi-
'ion and draw without scrupIe the very
high rents. which "a forced competition O.
bliges the poor fellows to give, Only few
days ago a number Of Galway tenants OBJ
tanned from a court a suspension Of eject
ment on the ground that their rents are
double end treble the Poor Law valuation;
and it is expected that great numbers Of
'occupiers, in proceeding s for ejectment,
will now plead the exon bitant character
= of their rents. l bear many examples Of the
arbitrary putting up 6 rent though the squeez-
ing power must have lost much of its strength
OF late. Persons whose knowledge and good
1ath cannot be doubted Informed me that
Il heavy additions of rent ere often imposed after
!, the, 6 x%ecution of quite tr,fing Improvements by
the tenants that the greatest sinners in this
respect are men who have bought land simply
as q money investment to get what
they could that hard dealing with tenants
sometimes occurs In The ease of trust property
) whsrs the highest inccpe nbtaina5!e for the
family, rather than the perpetuation of a -four
lshlng tenantry, forms the governing object of
the temporary managers of the estate. | hear
complaints that in many cases the middle-mau
system often brings wrong and encouragement
TO the teuantry, many of whom are ct the
mercy of a sub-sgenf's reports to the agent,
2 the actual proprietor in numerous cases not
ID knowing anything of the circumstances of bis
tenants or never having even seen his estate.
] am told that there are estates on which q
rise in rent has followed almost any outward
Indication Of increased ability of the occnpier