210 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER. 



allotments on the part of the labourer. The reason that 

 applications were not made where there was still a demand, 

 was due to the apathy of the Council, the hostility of the 

 farmer, the high price demanded for the land, or the diffi- 

 culty of putting the compulsory powers into force through 

 the Council. The Committee suggested that the Parish 

 Council should have greater powers not only to acquire 

 allotments, but also for the acquisition of village greens or 

 common pasture ; that Parish Councils should have the 

 right to obtain a compulsory order for the purchase of land 

 at a price to be fixed by a Land Court. Legal costs should 

 be borne by the Exchequer, as in the case of small holdings ; 

 and the Parish Council rate should be raised. 



Small Holdings. There was a large unsatisfied demand for 

 small holdings, which frequently was not voiced, owing to 

 the fear of applying, the excessive price paid by the 

 Councils for the land, and the rents being higher than they 

 should be. These high rents were due to the cost of 

 adaptation and equipment being unnecessarily large, the 

 sinking fund being too high and included in the 

 rent. The Committee suggested that the administration of 

 the Act by the County Council should be stimulated by 

 withholding grants-in-aid. That the cost of the sinking 

 fund in respect to the land should be borne by the State ; 

 and other proposals. 



Game. Considerable damage was done by winged game, 

 and the loss caused by such damage is not adequately com- 

 pensated under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1908, mainly 

 owing to the insecurity of the farmer's tenure. A large 

 amount of land was withheld from its best use for the 

 purposes of spori. The preservation of game to the extent 

 to which it is now carried on had injurious social effects, 

 which were increased by the right of search on the 

 highway without a warrant. The tenant farmer should 

 be entitled to kill and take ground game both by him- 

 self and by any person authorised by him. He should 

 be entitled to snare and entrap rabbits both on his 

 land and on the edges of his land, and not be restricted to 

 placing traps at the holes. The tenant farmer should have 



