STATELY HOMES OF ENGLAND

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 June 1931, Page 16

STATELY HOMES OF ENGLAND

\TTHEIN I hear of yet another country • ' mansion “on the market” and of still another old English family which has had to sell a country estate, I wonder how long those of us who are still fortunate enough to be left in possession of the homes of our ancestors will be able to maintain the fine old English country tradition, writes Lord I>enbigh in the “-Daily Mail.” With the passing of England's stately homes, the children of the poor as well as of the Tich are being deprived of their birthright of n great tradit ion.

They will never see the famous houses that have meant so much in the history of England, and that have influenced her art and architecture.

Many have already been sold for the price of their stones as building material, others have lost their great parks and their gardens, which bit by bit have been cleared and cut up for stile.

■Some no doubt will be spared. But often the sale which saves them from the hands of the breaker will consign them Into the hands of people who have made their money in other places, and who have little idea of the responsibilities toward their poorer neighbours involved in the possession of an English country estate.

Even for those of us who still manage to live in our ancestral homes, country life is changing. Taxation has forced us to close floors and even wings of our houses for economy's sake. We can no longer afford to employ the large staff of servants necessary to maintain an estate, nor can we entertain as did our fathers. .Sometimes the tragedy of two deaths in quick succession has resulted in such impoverishment from death duties that there has been no choice but sacrifice.

Then there is the point of view that the old village life is passing. 1 do not refer to the advent of the cinema, the opening of the countryside by motor-coach—this is progress, and it is only right that country people should

Tradition that is Passing

enjoy its attendant benefits as well as city folk. I contend that more intimate life, where foV generation after generation the family in the mansion and the families on the estate have lived their lives dependent upon one another, bound by practical and sentimental bonds that it is a loss to both sides to have broken.

If the vanishing of England’s country houses could benefit the community at large, or even the villagers themselves, we should be forced to consider the whole problem from quite another point of view. But nowhere is the benefit apparent. Inquire the opinions of the villagers l on an estate where the great house has j been untcivanted for some years. It J will be found that they are thoroughly I unhappy on account of the change. . 'What are the girls doing who, in the J natural course of events, would talce their places as servants beside other j members of their families? j Where are the men who looked after the stables and motor-cars? * What has become of the gardeners who were discharged when the gardens were closed? All are scattered! iSome of them j have found good employment, but many tire forced to draw the degrading dole, f In addition, the interests of the vil-j lage tire scattered, its economic stabil-j ity is upset. ! Although the wealthy owner has been impoverished until lie is too poor to keep up his country estate, no one is a penny the better. Besides these material changes a disintegrating influence is at work from within. During the past few years a particularly insidious form of snobbery has been undermining the good sense of England.

Domestic service has come to lie looked upon as a demeaning occupation. This new attitude has even struck at hereditary loyalty, and what big houses remain are often painfully embarrassed for lack of servants.