VANISHING HOMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21537, 8 January 1932, Page 9

VANISHING HOMES

A PASSING TRADITION ■ When I hear of yet another country y 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 fortu- ‘ nate 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 Denbigh in the Daily Mail. With the passing of England’s stately homes, the children of the poor as well as of the rich are being deprived of their birthright of a great tradition. ' 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 1 cut up for sale. 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 towards 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 wq entertain as ; did our fathers.' Sometimes the tragedy of two deaths in quick succession has re- ‘ suited 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, I do not refer to the advent of the kinema, the * opening of the countryside by motor coach—this is progress, and it is only f right that country people should , enjoy its attendant benefits as well as city folk. I contend that more intimate life, where for 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. , f; Inquire the opinions of the villagers „ on an estate where the great house has been un ten anted for some years. It will r be found that they are thoroughly un- , happy on account of the change. What are the girls doing who, in tho ; , natural course of events, would take their „ places as servants beside other members of their families? Where are the men who looked after. the stables and motor cars? ■ a

What has become of the gardeners who , were discharged when the gardens were, * closed ? All are scattered! Some of them have r. found good employment, but many are .» forced to draw the degrading dole. In i. addition, the interests of the village are t scattered, its economic stability is upset. Although the wealthy owner has been impoverished until he is too poor to keep i up his country estate, no one is a penny • ■ the bettor. '■?

Besides these material changes a dis-'i integrating influence is at work from '' within. . During the past few years a ; > particularly insidious form of snobbery ■ • has been undermining the good sense of > r England. K -* Domestic service has come to be looked r upon as a demeaning occupation. This a new attitude has even struck at hereditary loyalty, and what big houses repain T are often painfully embarrassed for lack of servants.