MR. DUNDAS WHITE (Dumbartonshire)To ask the Secretary for Scotland if he will state, under the procedure of the Crofters' Commission, what is the usual cost to an individual crofter who makes application to have a fair rent fixed by the Commission.
(Answered by Mr. Sinclair.) If a crofter chooses to employ a law agent to act for him, he can pay such fees as may be arranged between agent and client, but under No. 16 of the Rules and Regulations, dated 21st September, 1886 (given at pages 110–113 of the First Report of the Crofters' Commission [Cd. 5247, 1888]), parties before the Commission 1579 may appear personally, or by a law agent, or by a friend. A crofter or a landlord may thus dispense with the services of an agent, which is the usual practice, and all the fees payable are set fourth in the table of Exchequer fees. Page 130 of the said Report shows that these amount to 1s. 6d. for a single fair-rent application. When a number of crofters combine and apply in Form 2 the fees are still less. Thus, twelve applicants pay 12s. on the principal application and 1s. on the copy sent to the landlord, or 1s. 1d. each; and similarly twenty-four applicants pay 25s. altogether, or 1s. 0½d. each.