PRELIMINARY STEPS 351 



small coal used for the forge. Some of the women 

 can earn from 5s. to 6s. a week. They were an 

 industrious set of people, and through carrying on 

 their trade in the country had some knowledge of 

 cultivation. The children of out-of-work nailers 

 would go round the district buying up flowers to 

 retail in Birmingham to add to those grown in 

 their own gardens ; and many of the men had 

 acquired allotments under the Acts of 1887 and 

 1890. There was, therefore, a considerable desire 

 for land amongst the men themselves, which paved 

 the way for putting into force the Small Holdings 

 Act when it was passed. 



In September, 1892, at a meeting of the Wor- 

 cestershire County Council it was moved by Mr. 

 Willis Bund, and seconded by Mr. Impey, that a 

 Small Holdings Committee should be appointed 

 under Section 5 of the Small Holdings Act of 1892. 

 This was subsequently constituted with nineteen 

 members, and instructed to obtain information as 

 to- 



(a) The number of small holdings within the 



county above 1 acre and not exceeding 

 10 acres. 



(b) How such small holdings were cultivated. 



(c) Whether there was any demand for such 



small holdings. 



Handbills and circulars were prepared, with a 

 view to elicit information as to putting the Act in 

 force, and in June, 1894, the Committee reported 



