The council of Maple County, concerned about the county's becoming overdeveloped, is debating a proposed measure that would prevent the development of existing farmland in the county. But the council is also concerned that such a restriction, by limiting

The author's argument, voicing the prediction of Maple City's governing council,that if the development of existing farmland into residential areas is prevented it will result a significant increase in housing prices in the Maple County may seem logical at the first glance. The author's conclusion could be correct if its premises were to be true.However, the author has made assumptions for there is no supporting evidence and has used terms lacking definition.

The author has provided the views and arguments of both the proponents and the opponents of such a move. He has taken the example of two counties namely Chestnut County and Pine County. In Chestnut county the move of limiting the development of farmlands into residential areas passed ten years ago has not resulted in significant increase of housing prices. On the other hands, a similar rule passed in Pine County fifteen years ago has resulted in housing prices almost getting doubled. According to the author, the council of Maple County is of the opinion that housing prices will go up significantly if development of farmlands is restricted.

The prediction of the City Council of Maple County is not based on proper evidences. The author has not examined other significant factors which may be responsible for increase in housing prices in Pine County and Chestnut County. Rate of increase in population is a major factor which decides the housing prices in a city. The real reason of rapid increase in housing costs in Pine County maybe a rapid influx of population due to some reason like industrilisation in the last fifteen years. If the author were to present the data concerned with the rate of population growths in the Pine COunty and Chestnut County after the passage of the concerned rule of protecting farmlands, it would certainly lend a lot of credibility to his argument.

The author has not provided any data regarding the rate of population growth in Maple County. If there is some possible reason for expecting a high population growth rate in following ten years or so,the prediction of the city Council could be true. For example, development of a new industry recently or in near future may attract outsiders for jobs and can rapidly swell the population of the County. However,such a development in a neigbouring County may cause people to leave the Maple County to seek jobs. In such a scenario the council's prediction will not have the desired effect. If the author were to examine the reasons affecting population groth and the current trend of population increase in Maple County and prove that the increase will be rapid in coming years, it will certainly strengthen his position.

Summing up,the city councils's opinion presented by the author which predicts a siginficant rise in housing prices if farmlands are protected,may be true. However,the author has not provided sufficient evidence to support his position. He has given a parallel case of Pine County, however he has neither examined the major contributing factors of housing price increase in case of Pine County nor drawn an analogy in these factors with Maple County. Thus, in its present state, the author's argument cannot be accepted without further supporting evidence of the assumption cited.