THE BREAK-UP OF BIG ESTATES. [To TAR Eorros or THE
sezeraiea."] Sra,—I was pleased to see your article on the "Break-up of Big Estates," and particularly " Rector's" letter upon the same subject in this week's issue. I own an estate of some 2,000 to 3,000 acres in Lancashire, within reach of the best markets in the world, which was purchased with capital acquired by the work of my own hands and head. Now, how how do I find these quixotic views of Messrs. Lloyd George and Keir Hardie fit P In the first place there is not a tenant on the estate paying a " brass button" in rent for his land, and in many cases not even the interest on the cost of the buildings. Would, therefore, these tenants for a moment dream of buying P No; nor would a tithe of the farmers in England buy if they had the opportunity to purchase their farms, for if such estates are broken up and sold upon a Consol basis the tenant would, in some cases, have to pay double his present rent in interest upon the capital needed to purchase the farm. Let me put it another way : There is plenty of vacant or prairie land in England to experiment upon. Let Messrs. Lloyd George and Keir Hardie take, say, fifty acres of such land free, gratis, and for nothing, and let them demonstrate the possibility of bringing this land into cultivation by draining, breaking up, fencing, and erecting suitable buildings upon it which will comply with the district council regulations, and show that this can be done at a price the interest upon which, any average farmer would pay as rent. I say it cannot be done, yet those landlords who have with their own capital brought this land into cultivation are to be harassed and penalised off their estates. The fact is Messrs. Lloyd George and Keir Hardie know as much about land as they know about the fifth wheel of a coach. All they want is the land and that at their own price ; but the time will come, and that not many years hence, when there will be as great a cry for the landlords to regain their estates and get back to the old condition of things as there is now to harass them off the property, but, as usual in these big blunders, the stable door will be locked when the horse has gone.—I am, Sir, &c., A DISGUSTED LIBERAL.
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