My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

RADNORSHIRE8ito this day almost all the great boggy moor, with themountain slopes and summits, has not been improvedin any way, either by draining, cultivation,or planting,but is still wild, rough pasture. But about thirtyyears after the inclosure the railway from Shrewsburythrough South Wales passed through the place, andimmediately afterwards a few villas and boardinghouseswere built, and some of the inclosed land wassold at building prices. This has gone on year byyear, and though the resident population is still onlyabout 2000, it is said that 10,000 visitors (more orless) come every summer, and the chief increase ofhouses has been for their accommodation. My friendtells me that, except close to the village and railway,the whole country which was inclosed—many hundredsof acres—is still bare and uncultivated, withhardly any animals to be seen upon it. Milk is scantyand poor, and the only butter is Cornish or Australian,so that the inclosure has not led to the supply of thesimplest agricultural needs of the population. Eventhe piece of common that was reserved for the use ofthe inhabitants is now used for golf-links !Here, then, as in so many other cases, the expresspurpose for which alone the legislature permitted the inclosurehas not been fulfilled, and in equity the wholeof the land, and the whole money proceeds of the saleof such portions as have been built upon, should revertto the public. The prices now realized by this almostworthless land, agriculturally, are enormous. In ornear the village it sells for ;^I500 an acre, or evenmore, while quite outside these limits it is from ;^300to ;^400.In regard to this fundamental question of landownership people are so blinded by custom and bythe fact that it is sanctioned by the law, that it mayG