ENCUMBERED ESTATES [To the altar of THE SPECTATOR]
Snt,—Agricultural land is being starved today from lack of working capital—as regards large estates, capital is being steadily drained from the land by the imposition of death duties, this apart from existing mortgages—consequently very few private owners can afford to dispense with their rent-roll, but in most cases the whole of this should be returned periodically to keep land in a healthy condition.
.Agricultural land requires constant capital outlay in " drain- age," " dressing," &c., and " repairs to farm buildings, fences, gates," &c., the position is accentuated among the s_.%all tenant farmer owners who purchased their farms at enhanced prices with borrowed money in the boom period o 1919, consequently land is rapidly deteriorating as few have any available capital.
The productiveness of agricultu: a". land is a National non- party question, and vitally important now.
We require State supervision by. the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure efficiency, and failing the attainment by the occupier of an approved standard of production, the State should be empowered to take over the land at a proper valuation, so as to ensure the essential fertility of the soil.
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