PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY

63

The Small Holdings and Allotments Act, 1908, makes the County Councils and the Councils of County Boroughs responsible for the pro- vision of small holdings and allotments. A small holding is from one to fifty acres, or even more, in extent, but its annual value must not exceed 501. An allotment may be provided up to 5 acres, but the Council is not obliged to provide one of more than an acre, and the a[)plicant must be of the agricultural labouring class and resident in the borough, district, or parish. In England and Wales up to the end of 1911, County Councils had acquired or agreed to acquire for small holdings 124,502 acres, of which 78,871 acres were purchased for 2,493, 121Z., and 45,631 acres leased for 55,637^. per annum. Of this land, 94,154 acres were let to 6,916 small holders; 186 acres sold to 13 small holders; and 4,597 acres let to 39 Co-operative Small Holdings Associations, who sub-let the land to 732 of their members. The land unallotted was estimated to provide for another 2,000 applicants. In addition, 2,644 a})plicants had acquired 82,000 acres from private landowners. Up to the end of 1911, County Borough Councils had acquired for small holdings 1,303 acres, let to 161 individual tenants, and 63 members of Co-operative Associations. The total number of allotment authoiities under the Act of 1908 is approxi- mately 8,300. The total qunntity of land let for allotments by the various local authorities in England and Wales up to the end of 1911 was 29,604 acres, let to 109,191 imlivithial tenants and 22 associations. The Councils owned 6,693 acres and leased 22,911 acres.

Ireland.

Number and Size of Holdings in the year 1911 : —

Size of Holdings

Leinster

Munster

Ulster

Connauglit

Ireland

Not exceeding 1 acre .

30,416

27,361

21,976

7,153

86,906

Above 1 and uot exceeding 5 acres

17,381

12,734

20,041

12,198

62,354

„ 5 „ „ 15 „

25,049

19,799

62,934

46,572

154,354

,, 15 ,, ,. 30 „

22,246

24,606

53,684

36,303

136,839

,, 30 ,, ., 50 ,,

15,521

22,674

25.469

12,720

76,384

,, 50 ,, „ 100 „

14,446

23,228

14,768

6,537

58,979

„ 100 „ „ 200 „

6,934

9,480

3,653

2 722

22,789

,, 200 ,, ,, 500 ,,

2,703

2,654

987

1,401

7,745

Above 500 acres ....

439

387

314

470

1,610

Total No. of Holdings.

185,135

142,923

203,826

126,076

607,960

In 1890 the total number of holdings was 524,210 ; in 1905, 593,804 ; in 1911, 607,960. Of the holdings in 1911, 389,751 were owned and 218,209 rented.

The Irish Land Acts are of two classes — The Fair Rent Acts, and the Land Purchase Acts. The Fair Rent Acts commenced with Mr. Gladstone's Land Act of 1881, which gave the Irish Tenant the ' 3 Fs '—Fair Rent, Free Sale and Fixity of Tenure. Under this Act, the great body of agricultural tenants had Fair Rents judicially determined. The rent is fixed by the Land Commission for terms of 15 years, and, on the expiration of each term, a new rent may be fixed for another teim. Up to March 31, 1912, 454,425

applications and consents to fix such Fair Rents for a First Statutory Term