DEMAND FOR LAND BENEFITS 403 



to be chosen by ballot. There is also keen com- 

 petition for some charity grass land, which the 

 men willingly pay 3 an acre for, although there is 

 no water on it or proper entrance. 



There are at present three large farms belonging 

 to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in the parish. 

 One of these is let at 14s. an acre. If 140 acres of 

 it were let out to the twenty odd men who are 

 now clamouring for land and are able to stock it, 

 there is no doubt that a very much higher rent 

 would be received by the Commissioners. 



Benefits of Small Holdings. There are many 

 instances to be found here of small men who have 

 been enabled to rise to the position of farmers 

 through the advantage of having had a small piece 

 of land to start with. 



Since the Parish Council took up the question 

 in 1894, there has also been a marked improvement 

 in the character of the men. There was prior to 

 this much poaching and fowl-stealing, owing to the 

 poverty of the district, cases of which are now 

 rarely known. 



The special benefit of the land provided by the 

 Parish Council appears to be twofold. 



First, where it supplies additional land at from 

 14s. to l an acre to those small holders who are 

 now paying from 2 to 4 for their cottage 

 holdings, this helps to bring down the rent of all 

 their land to a more reasonable value. 



Secondly, where it supplies men at other occupa- 

 tions with a small amount of land, it enables them 

 to grow wheat for their own bread, and enough 



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