24 OCTOBER 1885, Page 14

THE DIFFUSION OF LAND.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOH.1 Saa,—In your "News of the Week" of September 17th yoi. observe, d propos of a recent remark of Lord Salisbury's, that though land in Switzerland can be transferred in ten minutes,

it does not go to the wealthy. This is quite true, the reason being that small holdings are worth relatively more than large estates ; in other words, they give better results, and a man of fortune who does not care to make a business of farming his own land can find much better investments for his money than a form of property that seldom returns more than 2 per cent., and which, in ordinary times, buyers are willing to acquire at fifty years' purchase.—I am, Sir, &c.,

Loughton, October 21st. WILLIAM WESTALL.