Page:The Irish land acts; a short sketch of their history and development.djvu/38

28 for the season to some more prosperous neighbour. That was the beginning of the end. The amounts obtained became smaller year by year as the fertility of the soil decreased, and it was only a matter of time until the voluntary or forced sale of the holding took place, and the original occupier disappeared from view.

The result of the inquiry, then, was to demonstrate clearly the general benefits conferred by Land Purchase, even in its comparatively early stages, and at the same time to elicit some few concomitant disadvantages which subsequent legislation has done much to minimise or remove. The evils arising from the initial poverty of the tenant and the insufficient extent of his land were remedied (a) by providing capital out of the Reserve Fund for the enlargement and improvement of uneconomic holdings; and (b) by the substitution of the sale of "estates" for that of individual holdings. It was thus secured that "estates" which contained an appreciable proportion of uneconomic holdings would not be dealt with, or State money advanced for their purchase, except under conditions that would provide for their permanent reorganisation and improvement. On these lines later developments in the history of Land Purchase were directed.  

I have traced the history of the Irish Land Acts down to 1896. Some short Acts were added to the code during the following years to clear away certain difficulties, and in 1903 Mr. Wyndham brought in and passed his Irish Land Act, which may be said to have opened a new era in Irish agrarian legislation. Under it a new body, known as Estates Commissioners, was formed, and included in the Land Commission to administer land purchase in Ireland.

Sales under previous Purchase Acts were carried out by holdings. A landlord could agree with one or more of his tenants to sell them their farms, and if the Land Commission, after examination, found that the particular holding was security for the advance asked for by the tenant to buy out the landlord, such advance was made irrespective of any other sales on the estate. The Act of 1903 introduced the system of sales by "estates." A landlord, to obtain the benefit of the Act, is obliged to sell his entire estate, or such portion of it as the Land Commission considers fit to be regarded as a separate estate for the purposes of the Act. The Commissioners, before defining any lands to be an estate, have to consider all the circumstances of the district and of the property. Once the estate is "declared," the holdings comprised in it are dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Those subject