322 THE SMALL HOLDINGS ACT 



2. In the case of purchase on a deferred pay- 

 ment system, whether there should be a deposit of 

 a part of the purchase money. 



3. What authority should be entrusted with 

 powers for increasing the supply of holdings. 



4. Whether there should be compulsory powers 

 for the acquisition of land. 



OWNERSHIP OR TENANCY. 



As regards the first two clauses, the chief in 

 fact, the only out-and-out supporter of a freehold 

 system was Mr. Jesse Collings, who gave much 

 interesting evidence in support of his Small Hold- 

 ings Bill, which was then before Parliament. Under 

 this Bill Local Authorities were to have power to 

 acquire land, and divide it into small holdings for 

 sale under the following terms : The purchasers 

 were to find one-quarter of the purchase money, 

 and the other three-quarters were to remain as a 

 permanent loan, on which interest would be paid 

 in the form of a perpetual quit-rent. The pur- 

 chaser could sell or devise his holding subject to 

 this quit-rent. By this means Mr. Collings con- 

 tended that the ratepayers would be protected, 

 first by the 25 per cent, deposit, and secondly by 

 the presumably increased value of the land as a 

 small holding ; moreover, at the end of a certain 

 term of years the ratepayers would be receiving a 

 profit on the transaction ; the State, being always 

 the owner, could thus prevent subdivision and 



