LAND TENURE IN IRELAND.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Mr. Bence Jones's letter in the current Spectator is pleasant and useful. It is pleasant to find an Irish landlord discarding the absurd plea that to give security to the agriculturist would be to " confiscate " the landlord's property, and proceeding calmly and practically to discuss " the facts of the case." It is useful to have under the hand of a landlord of Mr. Bence Jones's position and ability such distinct and forcible admissions that the present system has worked badly.
Mr. Jones tells us that Irish " land is in a miserable condition," that with few exceptions " it is exhausted to the uttermost by over-cropping," that it is " deficient in fences, buildings, and all else," and that it nearly everywhere "needs great outlay for manures." In short, whatever this able advocate of the present system has to say in its favour, this he has to admit against it, viz., that it has failed.
Tenant-right advocates point out as one cause of this failure that the burden of making improvements being generally thrown on the tenant, he is deprived of the inducement to improve by the fact that he is generally only a tenant-at-will, liable to eviction at any time on a few months' notice. They say that it is unreason- able to expect anybody to expend money or labour on another
man's land under such circumstances, and they suggest that the tenant should be secured against eviction so long as he pays a fair rent and cultivates properly, the rent being revised from time to time, according to the circumstances of the country.
Mr. Jones omits the usual wild objections to this proposal, but he suggests two practical difficulties,—(1), that Irish tenants have not sufficient capital to avail themselves of such an opportunity ; (2), that they have not sufficient energy or industry to do so. Permit me to write a few words about each of these objections.
1. As to the want of capital, I think Mr. Jones points out a real difficulty. I believe he is right in thinking that the savings of Irish farmers have been absurdly over-estimated. But it is a difficulty that must be faced. Experience has shown that (allow- ing for such exceptions as Mr. Jones), Irish landlords, whatever be their merits, cannot be relied on to effect the improvements necessary to put Irish land in the condition of land in other civilised countries. I don't blame them for this ; they have not the habit of making such improvements, in many cases they have not the inducement to make them, in nine cases out of ten they have not the money to make them. Hence if the improve- ments are to be made at all, they must be made by the tenants, and we can only expect the tenants to make them when we put them in such a position as regards tenure that men of ordinary prudence would be justified in making them. If this were done, we may hope that in Ireland, as in other countries, the difficulty of deficient capital would be gradually overcome. Many improvements that cost considerable sums, when they are effected by hired labourers at the expense of a wealthy employer like Mr. Jones, cost comparatively little if done from time to time by a farmer on his own land, utilising his own spare hours, or the spare hands of his children. Moreover, if the Irish farmer had the security of permanent tenure to offer, he might be helped with capital in various ways,—by banks, as in Scotland, or by land companies, as in Belgium, or by the State itself, as in Prussia.
2. As to the want of industry, it would be a fatal objection indeed, if it could be shown that as a general rule Irish tenants, when placed under circumstances in which industry is secure of its reward, are lacking in such industry. But this has not been shown and cannot be shown as yet, inasmuch as the state of facts has not as yet arisen. Mr. Jones quotes isolated instances in which security has not produced industry, but I am sure that he will not contend that insecurity tends to promote industry, or that the true way to make an Irishman improve his land is to leave him liable to eviction at a few months' notice.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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