1 JANUARY 1887, Page 24

FAIR RENT IN IRELAND.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR-"1

Sift,—The present fixed rent in Ireland has evidently broken down. What is a fair rent in one year is not a fair rent in another. However, at present nearly all over Ireland rent has been fixed for fifteen years, presumably on a calculation of the prices obtainable for farm produce. Could not this be considered as a standard for a sliding-scale ? Oats, hay, and potatoes were at a certain price when the rent was fixed. They go up or down in the market. Could it not be so arranged that rents might go up or down with prices ? I merely offer this suggestion to you as a possibility of arriving at a fair solution of this vexed question.—I am, Sir, &c.,

Lorne Hall, Torquay, December 2711s. J. M. CLEMENTS.