376 PURCHASING BIAS OF ACT 



poses. . . . No sufficient grounds have been shown 

 to justify the Council in putting into operation the 

 provisions of the Act with regard to the hiring of 

 the land on lease.' 



Again, by Section 4 (2) of the Act, the Council 

 are empowered to let land to the applicants only 

 where they are of opinion that these are un- 

 able to buy. A broad-minded Small Holdings 

 Committee are soon able to decide that the men 

 are unable to buy. It is not a matter of the ability 

 merely of putting down so much money in cash, 

 but whether the money used for payment of this 

 deposit would not be better employed as working 

 capital if they are allowed to hire the land, or 

 whether the payment of the deposit would not 

 cripple them in the case, say, of having to hold on 

 and pay their instalments in the face of one or two 

 bad seasons running. Many present holders under 

 Councils have put this to me : ' I have the money 

 for the deposit, but I want it to tide me over a 

 possible bad season, which otherwise might be the 

 ruin of me. The first year or two you are not 

 likely to get much out of your holding, and you 

 want the bit of money you have saved to help you 

 until a good season puts you well on your legs.' 



As it is, the best men often fall between two 

 stools in the hands of a sub-committee who are 

 not really in actual touch with the men's require- 

 ments. If the men prove they have money, the 

 Committee decide that they are able to buy, and 

 demur about letting them land (vide Wiltshire 



