952 EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED 10th Sept.,
1844.
support Mmself; or if there was a fund raised, by wliich they could procure boats
,—-horses to draw sand or weeds.
He gets a very bad acre of land from the farmer andh », ,1 nir Pays a very high rent for it.
There is £4 5s.
charged by the farmers for srnnA* n„ -?
Mr.
Jota Colta, Hthei.
/esc^tion of grmmd he is cllarged £3 01.
|2 i0[ Tllen to .le^tbe
paZT f
that he depends upon the sale of his pigs.
Ho pays for Ms cottage about £l, upcm th average.
' ^ e 17.
Does he get any garden with it ?—Yes,
a smaH bit of ground; not one-eighth of an acr 18.
How does he pay the rent for that—in money, or in labour ?—Sometimes
by hobo
^ if he gets employment from others.
The small farmer's famUy are able to do the work"' he depends upon the chances of labour from the better class, and by the price of his oio* • he is not able to clothe Mmself, but is generally in a state of nakedness.
° '
19.
Is it generaUy under the small farmers, who give no employment, that these labourers hold then-houses ?—They
hold from every description of persons who have houses to let I give houses myself to a few of them, and I know they often do Hve under very poor farmers.
20.
How do they pay you their rent—in money, or in labour ?—In
labour, generaHy.
21.
At what rate of wages ?—Eightpence
a day.
22.
With or without diet ?—Without
diet.
23.
GeneraUy, can they obtain employment throughout the district at that rate ?—I
understand that others only pay then-labourers, in the country districts, 6d.
a day.
I know at Baltimore that was the price, when I went there ; but I was accustomed to give Sd.,
ancl I continued it.
24.
Were those persons who worked in your stores ?—Yes
; and I employed them aU the year.
I took in another class of labourers and made dairymen of them, and I find they are more comfortable than the smaH farmers.
I give them cows, and put a moderate rent upon them.
I say,
" You give me £5 for the keep of the cow"—they send the milk to market, and they pay_ me weekly; and I find that their condition is better than the labourers; but that is in a very smaU way compared to the general labourers.
25.
Have there been any agrarian outrages in tMs district ?—No;
but I am oidy surprised how the peasantry bear their sufferings.
NotMng more has occurred than that of some resistance to the poor rates.
26.
What proportion does the county cess bear to tho rent in the district?
I should suppose the average in the country may be about twelve per cent.
27.
How is the amount to be levied made public ?—When
the applotment is to take place, there is a notice put up, a vestry is called, ancl they appoint applotters, or valuators.
28.
Is any pubHc notice given of the money to be levied, or any document submitted to the vestry ?—I
never attended more than one or two vestries, and I cannot weH answer upon that.
29.
Have there been any complaints in tliis district of an over-levy on the part of the coHectors, or the persons acting under them ?—I
am not aware that there have; but it is considered a very great hardship in the country that the occupiers are the persons who pay the cess, the greater part of the money being appropriated for the makmg of roads, of which the owner of the lands in fee derives thc greatest benefit.
30.
How do you make out that the owner in fee derives the greatest benefit ?—By
the improvement of the lands, and the faciHty of bringing manure.
31.
Who derives the greatest benefit from the manure?—The
owner m fee derives the greatest portion.
The occupier derives some of the benefit.
The general report of the country is, that where a road is made through a farm, where a farm is let at a moderate rent before, the landlord teHs the man, if he has not a' lease, he must pay a Mgher rent or qmt the land.
32.'
Do you know of any instance of that ?—No
; it is the general report m the country.
33.
Who is the landlord that makes that demand ?—We
have few landlords but the owners in fee.
There are some middlemen, but their leases have faUen m from time to time.
34.
Is there any suggestion you have to make ?—I
tMnk any thhig that would reheve the farmers of that tax would be of use.
I would name one point—there should be some check upon the measurement of roads.
Where contractors take roads, they put in a low proposal, as they say, in their own defence.
There is no check upon them as to the measurement of the roads; and perhaps out of 300, they may be paid for thirty perches more than then?
contract.
It is necessary to have some check.
I also tMnk if a banker was appointed to receive the county cess, there would be a saving, as the office of treasurer might be done away with.
I consider when roads are made, they are given up to the government.
Landlords are in the habit of charging their tenants a rent for half the road, though compensation may have been made two years before.
I think it ought to become tho property of the public.
.
, 35.
Is the arrangement as to farms here an acreable one ?—Sometimes
by tne lump, and sometimes by the acre.
, ,
36.
If it is a lump agreement that is made clo thoy charge for the roads • J "7; t
w landlord takes the road into his consideration, and.
makes that calculation; but 1 kuo where the land is taken by the acre, the roads are measured upon them.
.
^
37.
Is the land generally taken by the acre in this district ?—Very
frequently it is.
pannot say $hat it prevails more than by the lump.
I believe more is taken by tne aero.
$8.
Is thero #ny °^er suggestion you have to make ?—No
other,
f \T1w witnm ivithdrew,]
