AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION.
[To TUE II0ITOIE OF THE " SFEOTATJR.") Srn,—In your short review of Mr. Richard Heath's article on "Agricultural Depression in East Anglia," in the Spectator of September 9th, you remark that you would very much like to see Mr. Heath's figures criticised by an expert. Without pretending to be an expert, I can throw some light• on the matter from my own experience. Mr. Heath% astounding contention (on p. 451, Contemporary Review for September) is that the landlord's income in East Anglia has increased by 2948,260 between 1873.90.
Now, Sir, it do happens that I can give the figures of my own rental of that portion of the Six-Mile Bottom Estate, which was let to tenants at both the dates referred to, com- prising in round numbers two thousand acres of land.
For the year 1873, my tenants paid 22,000; while for the year 1890, they paid 22,486. For the same area in 1894, they will pay about 21,900, according to latest agreements. Owing to the drought of the present season, I shall have to remit a considerable portion of the half-year's rental. Out of a. present gross rental of about 22,000, I have to pay more than half in tithes, taxes, and improvement charges. These figures will give some idea of the amount of credibility to be attached. to Mr. Heath's contention that while farmers and labourers have suffered, landlords in East Anglia have grown richer.. In all my twenty-one years of landownership, I have never refused to create a small holding for a promising applicant, and have actually established about fifteen. I deeply regret to add that the last two seasons, and especially the current one, owing to the disastrous drought, have proved as ruinous to small as to large tenants, chiefly from the failure of hay and forage generally.—I am, Sir, &o., W. H. HALL, Sioc.Mile Bottom, near Newmarket, September 13th.
P.S.—Although I am just outside the area of the three counties referred to, I am well within East Anglia ; but in a district where the agricultural depression is less severe in ordinary seasons than in the adjoining counties of Essex and Suffolk.
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