Thus,”slave”cultivationisgrosslywastefulmayormaynotbetrue,hisviewthat,historically,foreconomicreasonssharecroppershavebeengraduallyreplacedbyfixed-rentfarmers,t,andthatintheUnitedStatessimilarsharecontractspredominateamongleasesofretailstores,beautysalons,gasolinestations,amusementparkrentals,,therarityofsharecroppinginEnglandasobservedbySmithandlaterbyMillandMarshallmightverywellbetheresultofthefreehold,,thecostofenforcingasharecontractmaybesohighastomakeitundesirable,sincetenancydismissalisoneeffectivedevicetoinsureagainstpoorperformancebysharecroppers.
Itis,ofcourse,d,whatappearstohavepermeatedthemindsofsubsequentEnglishwritersistheconvictionthattheBritish(fixedrent)s
Youngwasthesecr,hecondemnedthemetayersalmosteverytimetheywerementionedinhisTravelsinFranceduringtheYears1787,1788,and1789.[11]Ofthemetayagesystem,Youngwrote:
Thereisnotonewordtobesaidinfavorofthepractice,andathousandargumentsthatmightbeusedagainstit……Inthismostmiserableofallthemodesoflettingland,thedefraudedlandlordreceivesacontemptiblerent;thefarmerisintheloweststateofpoverty;thelandismiserablycultivated;andthenationsuffersasseverelyasthepartiesthemselves……Whereverthissystemprevails,itmaybetakenforgrantedthatauselessandmiserablepopulationisfound.[12]
Onehundredyearslaterin1892,however,,MissBetham-Edwards,authorandofficerofpublicinformationofFrance,tooklibertytodeletemostofYoungscondemnationsofthemetayers.[13]AndtotheonlyremainingstatementthatIcouldfind-inwhichYoungclaimedthatthemetayagesystem”perpetuatespovertyandexcludesinstruction”—Betham-Edwardsaddedafootnote:”Complexassuchanarrangementmayappearatfirstsight,metayagemustbecountedasafactorofgreatimportanceintheagriculturalprosperityofFrance.”[14]
,whoeditedtheTravelsin1929,madenumerouscorrectionsonYoungsviewsinthelengthy”EditorsNotes.”[15]Maxwellpointedout,withthesupportofmanysources,thatatYoungstimeinFrancethereweregovern-mentregulationsonvinegrowing,heavytaxes,theaftermathofthewarsofLouisXIV,,Youngwasnotignorantofallthis,and-evenifweaccepthisviewthatFrenchagriculturewas”miserable”—itisdifficulttounderstandwhyheblamedthemetayersasthesolesourceoftrouble.[16]
Youngscondemnationofmetayagenotwithstanding,wefindinhisworkonepieceofevidencewhichseeminglyisconsistentwithinefficientlanduseundersharecropping;namelythelowrentoflandinFranceasparedwithEngland.[17]Accordingtothetaxapproach,nonlandinputsmittedtolandundersharerentarelessthanunderfixedrent,andthu,ceterisparibus,rentwillbelowerif(a)thelandislessfertile(whichYoungdiscussedambiguously),or(b)thecostoftenantinputs(orthewagerate)ishigher(whichYoungwoulddenysincethemetayerswere”miserablypoor”).Butotherthingswere,infact,ttime,whichmightwellhavediscouragedinvestmentinlandandthusledtolowerrents,amoresignificantfactor,perhaps,isthereportedlyheavytaxesimposedonthemetayers.[18]Giventhemetayersalternativeearnings,howevertrivial,ahighertaximposedontheoccupationwillrequirethatthelando
WhereasYoungmighthaveallowedhisemotiontorunawaywithhisjudgment,someofhisobservationscouldhavehintedtolaterwritersthatfixedandsharerentsyieldthesa,Youngobservedthatthesharepercentagesvariedfromplacetoplace,andthatthedivisionoffarmsizewasrelatedtopopulationpressure.[19]YettomyknowledgetheonlysubsequenteconomistswhoelaboratedfurtheronthedivisionoffarmsundersharetenancyareRichardJonesandJohnStuartMill.
Writingin1831,JonesduplicatednotonlySmithsthesisofthedevelopmentofleasingarrangements,butalsoSmithsconclusions.[20]Jones,however,,andacknowledgingYoungsobservations,Joneswrote:
Whilethemetayertenantpaysnominallythesame[rentalpercentage],hisownshareoftheproducemaybediminishedintwomodes:byhisbeingsubjectedtoagreaterquantityofthepublicburthens:,IamnotawarethattheFrenchmetayersufferedmuch……[21]
AndhecontinuedfurtherwhenhecametothemetayersinItaly: