TROUBLED LANDOWNERS

Northern Advocate, 25 January 1922, Page 4

TROUBLED LANDOWNERS

If owners of land in New ZeaHnd have tlieir troubles just now tliey are by no means the only people in the world who have been rather hard hit by post-war conditions. Ever since the Armistice the owners of great landed estates in Britain have been complaining of the trials t-liat beset them, aiul almost every -week has seen the announcement of some historic estate coming into the market. Some of tte oldest families in England have sold up those stately homes in which Britons all th<? world over have taken a certain amount of pride. Only a few months ago the Duke of Portland hinted that he hoped to be able to keep up the family seat of Welbeck Abbey, but he doubted if his successors could . The Duke of Westminster, as owner of a large slice of London, might have beeu thought to be exempt from the financial worries of the day, but it is significant that even he should be selling some of the most famous pictures out of hi:-

galleries. The maintenance of a great country house is in itself a huge burden, but, except from the picturesque point of view ,it is doubtful that much harm will accrue if his particular form of extravagance disappears. Originally the feudal castle was the headquarters of a small army of officials who really ruled the surrounding countryside. With changing circumstances the officials of the landed magnate's household disappears, but the dwelling remained and newer arrivals in the peerage, not to be outshone by the old nobility, built themselves ever more expensive palaces. In short, a great many of Britain's country homes were out of daite when they were built, and tbeir disappearance does no more thao. remove an anchronism. Nevertheless, one does not need to be very sentimental to feel a certain pang of regret at the thought of these beautiful plices falling into ruin and decay or descend ing to ignoble uses.