THE I.AND QUESTION" AND COI.ONISATION I07 



o from 50 to 80 hectares, according to the province, to every father of a 

 family, with 20 hectares in addition for every^ son above the age of twelve. 

 The grantee must {a) be a Chilian citizen, {b) be the father of a family, (c) 

 never have been convicted of crime, or misdemeanour and (d) be able to 

 read and write. 



He is bound to observe the following conditions ; 

 (i) to respect the laws of the colony ; 



(2) within two years to enclose the land assigned to him ; 



(3) to cultivate personally at least half the land granted; 



(4) to keep in good condition at his own expense the roads crossing 

 his land, and the half of those bounding it ; 



(5) to give up at any time, without compensation, ground re- 

 quired for railways, public roads or bye ways to be constructed by decree of 

 the authorities ; 



(6) not to part with his land nor . to make any contract con- 

 cerning it till he has a title to it as absolute possessor. 



This title may be obtained by the colonist who is proved to have 

 lived six years on the land, and to have fulfilled all the conditions, otherwise 

 he loses the grant, nor can he claim compensation for improvements. 



(6) Foreign Colonisation. — This is the more energetic and success- 

 ful method. 



The first legislation on the subject was a Senatus-Consultum of April 

 loth., 1824, offering faciUties and land to every foreigner who should 

 come to Chile to found establishments for the manufacture of hemp, 

 flax, or copper or other raw material of the country. 



Then came the laws of November i8th., 1845 of Januar>^ 9th., 1851, 

 of x'\ugust 4th., 1874, January 13th.. 1898 and September ist., 1899. 



We must distinguish between the relations existing between the public 

 administration and voluntary immigrants and those between immigrants 

 and colonisation agencies, that is direct colonisation and colonisation by 

 means of agencies. 



I. Direct Colonisation. — Between the go\^ernment and the immigrant 

 agriculturist who desires a grant of land a contract is made on the follow- 

 ing conditions : 



The colonist obtains : (a) that he himself, his family and his luggage 

 shall be conveyed free of charge from the port where he lands to the colony, 

 (b) 30 contavos per day for every adult, and 15 centavos for every son or 

 daughter of his above the age of ten, from the day of his disembarking 

 till he enters into possession of his land, (c) a grant of 70 hectares, with 30 

 in addition for every" son above the age of twelve ; an allowance of 20 pe- 

 sos per month for the first year, and a machine for uprooting tree trunks. 



He pledges his word of honour and obHges himself on security of 

 the goods he brings with him and will be granted : 



{a) to estabHsh himself with his family on the land assigned 

 and to cultivate it for at least six years, during which time he will not 

 leave the colony without permission from the competent authorities ; 



