The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-27
THE ENGLISH LANDLORD.
Special Remittance of Rents and
Speculation as to It's Results.
London Standard,

The Duke of Bedford has RENTED to his
Woburn tenantry no less than so per cent.
of the rents due to him at Christmas. This
is by no means an isolated instance though
the reduction has not. to our knowledge,
been equaled In any other case. In all parts
of England landlords have been doing their
duty by making large allowances to their
tenants on account of agricultural depres-
sion, even when they could not afford 1t.
Land owners Win b no .b resources TO farl PACK
often found 1t difficult to make both ends
meet when their rents were higher and
were paid in full. country gentleman in
an English county is a much more con-
spicuous parsonage than a merchant in
London or Manchester, and more is conse-
they have never shrunk from taking on
themselves their full share OF the burden
thrown on the landed interest during, the
per cent. is, no doubt. an unusually large
abatement. 1t is more than liberal: it is
generous and munificent in the highest de-
gree. But looking at these remissions of
rent as they affect agriculture in general,
1t is easy to see that they only transfer the
loss from one class to another. If the &C.
cupier has more money in consequence, the
owner has less; and the chances are that
what the neighborhood loses through the
sacrifice of half his rent by single tndi-
vidual like the Duke of Bedford. is out of
all proportion TO what ii gains by the dis
tribution of the same amount among the
numerous tenantry.
1t is possible, of course, though not very
probable. that Duke of Bedford may be
out cutting down his expenses or altering
his mode of life But with the great ma
Jority of land owners. any serious diminu-
ton in the income derived from their prop
erty must mean the reduction of expendi-
ture at the same time; fewer servants in
the house. fewer horses in the stables;
fewer grooms, gardeners and keepers, with
all the collateral outlay which they sever
ally represent. The provincial tradesman or
artisan suffers more from this change than
he can gain by the slight addition to the
spending power of the farmer. which aver
age reductions, at all events, confer upon
him. III requires. moreover, no argument to
show that the greater the remission which
the circumstances OF the farmers seem TO
call for the greater the loss to the COM
S or 90 acres on which n the tenant has
been losing money at the rate of five or six
hundred a year. II his rent is 80 shllings
an acre, and IL is not likely to be more,
return of one-half does not recoup him for
his loss Ii may just save him from bank
ruptcy. but leaves him very little TO spend
on additional labor or cultivation, TO say
nothing of household expenses
With his landlord. however. Ii may make
all the difference between his being a good
customer TO the local tradesmen and
bad one Saddlers. iron mongers. butchers
brewers fish mongers, ct hoe genus omne
soon realize the change The Duke of Bed
ford deserves all praise for the Substan-
tial sympathy which he has shown toward
a struggling and meritorious class. But
1t must not be supposed that every landlord
In the kingdom has the power 10 do even
quarter much without feeling the pinch
and causing the neighborhood 10 feel IL by
the drying up of channels through which
money used formerly TO circulate III Is
gratifying TO know that the English land
lords are showing themselves in every way
worthy OF the confidence of their tenantry
and Of the public. The farmers under
stand Wei enough the local position of
the landed proprietors. and know that they
doing for them all that men can do,
and the consciousness of this has per-
haps, largely contributed TO the patience
with which their sufferings have been
borne.