24 A UNIONIST AGRICULTURAL POLICY 



The following table shows the change effected by 

 the conversion of this area into small holdings : 



Ik* fore conversion After conversion 



Perhaps the most interesting colony system has 

 been developed in Sweden, where they have 

 acted upon the important principle that the 

 initial years of the small-holder's occupancy must 

 be made as easy as possible in regard to the 

 annual payments. 1 Not only has this principle 

 been ignored in the development of English small 

 holdings, but the reverse is actually the case. 



Colonies of small holdings are of value not only 

 for the purpose of settling on the land promising 

 young labourers, who are now drifting into towns 

 or emigrating to the colonies, and attracting 

 back to the country men who were originally 

 brought up in the country, and who often prove 

 successful cultivators of the soil if they are 

 fortunate enough to £et back there under suitable 

 conditions, as has been proved in the U.S.A., 

 but also for the purpose of giving employment to 

 casual agricultural labourers. 



It is essential to the success of the colony that 



1 See Report of Departmental Committee on Small Holdings, 1913, 

 Cd. 6708, p. 44. 



