The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-05

Second Term rent Is Gl00, twenty-three
years purchase, plus the landlords share
Of the bonus from the Imperial Excheq-
uer, would, invested as 1t would have to
be, yield almost exactly 9eo,the difference
just balancing, as we have said, the cost
of collecting rent. We may here point out
that these figures were approved by the
Landowners Convention.
A feature OF the bill to which Mr.. RUS
SELL strongly objects is the denial OF the
freehold to the tenant-purchaser All
previous land purchase measures con-
veyed the freehold of the land to the
buyer This is not the case with Mr.
WYNDHAMs bill. Under it the purchas-
ing tenant pays terminabe annuity on
account of seven-eighths of the property
The remaining eighth is irredeemable
and constitutes perpetual rent-charge
payable to the Crown. The reason as
signed for the change is that the Govern
ment must be able to prevent mortgag-
ing, subdivision and subletting. Mr..
RUSSELL is far from denying the neces-
sity of preventing such membranes
and parcellation, but he holds that ef1ec-
tive precautions may be taken, and. in
fact, are taken. by other sections of the
bill. In his judgment, the sense of own
ership should on no account be destroyed.
If in addition to other precautions, some
specific assertion of State control should
be deemed necessary, he maintains that
a nominal quit-rent would suffice.
We have previously pointed out that
the bill, while leaving it optional with
land ords to sell. makes it compulsory for
tenants to buy under certain circtm-
stances. That is to say, II three-fourths.
in number and ratable value, of the ten
ants on a given estate agree to purchase
their holdings, the other fourth must
purchase also, or lose the right to have
their rents revised thereafter by the Land
Courts. Mr.. RUSSELL admits that the
line must be drawn somewhere, and is
inclined to think that minority of one
fourth should not be permitted to en-
danger purchase on the part Of 30 large
a majority as three-fourths. 1t appears.
however, that by provision Of the bill
not hitherto noticed on this side Of the
Atlantic. the Lord Lieutenant may, by his
personal fiat, authorize bare majority
of one to override everything. That ia to
say, under such circumstances, fifty Zone
tenants can penalize forty-nine. There
is, on the other hand, no provision for
penalizing landlords. who refuse to sell.
Mr.. RUSSELL is obviously right in con-
tending that no pressure should be put
upon tenant unless corresponding pres
sure is applied to the landlord. Another
defect to which we formerly adverted is
brought out sharply by Mr.. RUSSELL,
namely. the inadequacy of the present
bill, so far as the congested districts in
the West of Ireland are concerned.
Never will the inhabitants of those dis
tricts be able to draw even a decent
subsistence from the land until the area
now devoted to grazing shall be put
under the plough. Mr.. RUSSELL agrees
that, az regards this, the most acute part
of the Irish agrarian problem, Mr.. WYND-
HAMS project does but represent an
initial step toward better things.
We observe, lastly, that Mr.. RUSSELL
concurs with other critics of the measure
in considering the bonus of $50 ,OOO, 900
inadequate. 1t will not suffice, he thinks,
to bridge the gap between the sum which
the tenant, in justice to himself, and with
safety to the State, can afford to pay and
the sum which the landlords can afford to
accept. He thinks that an increase of
the free gift from the Treasury to $780,
OOO, 900 would have materially promoted
the smooth working of the measure. He
is much too sensible, however, to reject
the bill on that score. He would accept
the $50, OOO, 900 as a payment on account
and try to get little moro hereafter.