William Frederick Bailey

“ It will be convenient to pause for a moment at the stage we have now reached and take a retrospective glance at the progress made in Land Purchase with a view to ascertaining how far actual experience confirms the theoretical advantages of peasant proprietorship, and what, if any, are the drawbacks attendant on the establishment of such a system in Ireland. The materials for this retrospect are to be found in the Report [1] of an Inquiry instituted in November, 1902, into the condition of Tenant Purchasers who had acquired their holdings under the Land Acts. ”

“ The insolvent man will borrow where and when he can; the man with a property which can be made liable acts with more circumspection. The tenant purchasers avoided incurring liabilities which they did not clearly see their way to meet, and limited their expenditure on improvements to what they could supply themselves. ”

“ The purchasers, no longer afraid that improvements resulting from careful treatment of the soil would be taxed by an increased rent, set themselves assiduously to cultivate their holdings to the best advantage. ”