STATE AS LANDLORD

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 135, 4 December 1935, Page 22

STATE AS LANDLORD

BRITISH EXPERIENCE

It is not always appreciated that the State is now by.far the largest agricultural land owner -in* this country. Through local authorities it retains 454,742 acres in England and Wales for small holdings apart from other land, and the Ministry of Agriculture has just published.its annual'report from the Land Division. It has some interesting things to say, reports the "Daily Telegraph."

Four thousand two hundred and sixty-three acres of fresh land were acquired in 1934 under the Small Holdings and Allotment Acts, and 1219 applicants were provided with holdings. This seems, however, a small proportion of the total of 7301 applicants for 140,000 acres.

In. the light of recent criticism of small-holding schemes it is interesting to hear how the men themselves have fared. " ' '

The Ministry has stated that they have weathered the agricultural depression "in a ■ remarkable way," largely; because of the small hired labour- bill, the flexibility of their type of farming, the absence of heavy mort\ gage charges, and the fact that most of the stock is born and reared on the .holdings. Conditions in 1934 showed an improvement, and\ rents came in satisfactorily. ,

• But the pure market garden and poultry holdings have suffered from increased competition of large scale farms, and the small holders of Worcestershire are reported to be "only just hanging on." Milk and sugar beet seem to be giving the best results, and there is a good demand for arable holdings.

Allotments now reach a total of 946,933. This is the first complete return since 1930. In the interval there has been a striking reduction in rural allotments, representing a loss of 32,000 holders.

Urban allotment holders, on the other hand, increased during this period by nearly 15,000, although the acreage is 677 less.

The report deals also with tithe, which is slowly being reduced by redemption, merger, and other means. When tithe was first commuted in 1836 the annual rent charge was £4,054,405, but by.the.end of 1934 the figure had fallen to £3,143,700. Of this sum £576,200 is "lay" tithe, payable to schools, colleges, charities, and private owners.