ABSTRACT
The landlord demands a rent even for unimproved land, and the supposed interest or profit upon the expense of improvement is generally an addition to this original rent. The landlord whose estate is bounded by a kelp shore of this kind, demands a rent for it as much as for his corn-fields. The ordinary rent of land is, in many cases, owing partly, at least, to the attention and good management of the landlord. Adam Smith’s examination of the food-position is worth attention, because, as is well-known, his bias as between country landlords and city interests was rather towards the landlords. A good deal of the strength of the landlord position undoubtedly came from what were felt to be the very satisfactory relations of patron and client normally ruling between landlord and tenant. A modern land-reformer would hardly, perhaps, have allowed the landlord to absorb the right to the improvements of all the ages as unreservedly as did William Ogilvie.
