ENGLAND CHANGING HANDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 8

ENGLAND CHANGING HANDS

1 paternal acres tuhnbd ao gold The whole of the land of England is chaining hands at a rate that is Illak ' n ,° history quicker than it has bee.n made since the Black Death, writes the Dailj I Ml." The feudal lord, so called to the alarm of some people and the pleasure of others, lias himself decided the best of reasons. A few >.e.u» ago i i hi" land owner who sold his patei'n ncres was regarded as a sort of traitor to ,I,is ills To-day. to quote the big land i owners' criticism the man who docs not soli his land is cither mad or a tool. General!*' speaking, land owners have found a nightmare turned into a ' dream. The idea was abroad that the ! policy of tho tiovernuu-iit was compuUoi.V | purchase at starvation prices,. I<:ionsliier I fear many land owners decided to s>ell their land for what it would letch. lhcn> . to their. ustoiiishiucnt, , ,that compulsory purchase lmant that a kindly Government was willing to gut 40 per cent, mora for t'ne land than it was &rth a year or two ago. Thus to the inovivo oi fear was added the no less powerful motive of greed. Ihe paternal acres which had dwindled in value were suddenly turned to gold. , The extraordinary thing is that land has risen at a moment when there are more willing sellers than ever before The purchasers have multiplied equall) with the sellers. There arc four chief . classes of buyers. The lug co-operatne associations in the towns r.re buying farms to supply their own tod. me Government is giving big prices tor land suitable for small holders and ex-service men. A good many farmers, frightened by the rapidity of the change ot ownership, have decided to bec'omi! owners ot their own farms. The land speculators have been very busy, but are ncguinuig lo be a little ilfraid of a slump.