4^ RURAL DENMARK 



lars. According to that of 1899, tne cos t price of the 

 land must not exceed 4000 kroner, or ^221, 13s. 4d., 

 of which sum nine-tenths might be advanced by the 

 State. Under that of 1904 the value of the property 

 that might be purchased was raised to 5000 kroner, or 

 ^277, is. 8d., the proportion of the State advance 

 remaining the same. According to that of 1909, land 

 may be purchased to the value of 6500 kroner, or 

 ^360, 4s. 2d., the proportion of the State advance 

 still being fixed at a maximum of nine-tenths. 



Under these three Acts about 5000 State small- 

 holders have been created up to the present time 

 (1910). None of them give any right of compulsory 

 purchase, which is unknown in Denmark. The would- 

 be small-holder must buy the land by voluntary agree- 

 ment with a willing seller. 



Mr. Waage stated, in answer to my questions, that 

 the success or otherwise of the experiment is a matter 

 of opinion. It depended largely on the individual 

 point of view from which it was considered. He 

 pointed out that the prime cost of the land is raised 

 by the operation of the law above its ordinary market 

 value, as the owner, knowing that he has to do with 

 an anxious buyer using State money, naturally holds 

 out for a high figure. 



I said that this seemed to show that such State 

 small-holdings are not a practical proposition unless a 

 power exists of compulsory purchase. He replied 

 that this was his opinion, and that the lack of com- 

 pulsory powers was the stumbling-block of the Act. 

 Personally, he would prefer an Act like to that under 

 which the County Councils in England can expropriate 

 land and let it on long lease. 



For his part, he wished also that some system 



