SMALL HOLDINGS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19889, 28 March 1930, Page 12

SMALL HOLDINGS.

OPERATION OF ACT IN ENGLAND. ADDRESS BY SIR R. WINFREY. [THE PEESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, March 27. Years of association with British agriculture, both in a practical and legislative capacity, have convinced Sir Richard Winfrey, of Peterborough, who toured New Zealand with the party of Empire farmers, that the iand in this country will carry many limes the population on it to-day. Sir Richard Wintrey, who was the guest and speaker at the New Zealand Club luncheon to-day, did not return tt'ith the delegation, but is remaining in the Dominion for another two weeks to see a little more of "this delightful country." He will then visit Canada before returning to the Homeland. Sir Richard, who comes of farming stock, represented South West Norfolk in the House of Commons from 1906 to 1923, and the Gainsborough Division fiom 1923 to 1924. From 1906 to 1910 he was private secretary to the President of the Board of Trade (Lord Lincolnshire), wnd at the earnest request ot the then Prime Minister (Mr Lloyd George) he undertook the office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry for Agriculture from 1916. to 1918; Sir Richard Winfrey said that during the war it fell to his lot to prepare a scheme for placing ex-soldiers on the land. Thousands of returned men desired an outdoor occupation, and it was felt that they should be given an opportunity to gratify their desiro. Previous to that he had taken an active interest in what would be called m New Zealand closer., settlement. '"When I was in Parliament and even before that,'* said Sir Richard, "I felt we had a drift to the towns, and that the only way to stop it was to give the agricultural labourers a bit of land to cultirate themselves before legislation was introduced and was successful in establishing the Lincolnshire and Norfolk Small Holdings' Association. We succeeded in 'getting Lord Lincolnshire, whose farms on - his estate had become vacant, to let us have them and in that way got some 2000 acres of land. Later we obtained 1000 acres pf Crown lands in Norfolk. I have been chairman of that Association for over 30 years. The men we put on the land had all been agricultural labourers who had been able to save a little out of their scanty wages. Wages were very small before the wa». We have 260 tenants to-day and during the 30 years we have had only two per cent, of failures We took the lands from the Crown and paid the same rents as the large owners were paying for it. I have lived long enough to see several of those men go in for larger holdings and some retire on a competency." - Alluding to New Zealand, Sir Richard said he Had come to the conclusion that the land here would carry two or threo times the population that was on it to-day, and ne hoped that in due courso our legislators would devote their onergies to that problem. Ho beleved he was right in saying that there were tfewer people on the land to-day than five years ago. "When I got into Parliament and became friendly with the late Sir Henry Campbell-Bannorman," proceeded Sir Richard, "legislation was introduced and passed known as the Small Holdings Act, which allowed the County Councils to purchase land and place men on it. That resulted in 500,000 acres in England being brought under small holding conditions between 15)08 and the beginning of the war. When we came to the war, we realised what difficulties we were up against when he had to deal with many men without agricultural experience. In the last year of the war we got placed 6n the Statute Book the Small Holdings Colonies. Act, and as we were short of money—we still are—we had to go to the landowners and make arrangements to take the land and pay for it later."

A striking example of what had been accomplished by closer settlement in England was given by Sir Richard. He said that 1000 acres bordering on Ihe Wash m Lincolnshire was taken. The three farmers occupying it were paid out, the property was divided i»to ten-acre lots, and so provision was thus made for 100 ex-service mfen. On the land houses were huiH to "ccmn«iodate 100 tenants. Partially-injured men were placed on the pronerty and 95 per V*"t Of the cow had madf cood on 10 acres each. The total rent for land ™ im SC> T aS *° 3 7 ear " The oolotvv nas 100 miles from the lartre markets T &n inte " siv * fultil *IOOVA 2T4 r he "? en Wh ° had not fw ° f °. aD,tn ' wp l"e worth t n times that sum in ten vears "That 'hows whnt e*n he <W T, v intend onl+irnt'on '• bp said "vJ» !! ics? sxt "i ; 1™; n.imber »f m.r.„l c ." " P""*