SMALL-HOLDING OWNERSHIP 239 



demand for a really wide measure of land pur- 

 chase, under which the buyer would be required to 

 find one-third of the agreed cost of the property. Still 

 I wish to make it absolutely clear that in the main I 

 am an earnest supporter of Mr. Collings's scheme. 

 The only difference between us is that I hold that the 

 purchaser should provide one-third of the cost price as a 

 guarantee of bona fides, to safeguard the State against 

 mere speculation with its funds, and to allow for any 

 possible depreciation in the value of the property. 

 This, however, is but a matter of personal opinion. 

 It may well be that Mr. Collings is quite right in his 

 view, and that I am quite wrong in mine, although this 

 seems to be supported by the Danish experience. 



If by a lucky chance some such system of land 

 purchase on a large scale by tenants should be 

 introduced at any time by a British Government, it 

 would be well worth considering whether it could not 

 be helped forward by the establishment of Credit 

 Unions on the Danish plan. But alas ! such Credit 

 Unions again involve co-operation amongst those who 

 are to receive their benefits. 



The only point that remains to be discussed in 

 connection with the Danish State small-holdings is 

 whether these are or are not a success, and therefore 

 a model worthy of imitation in this country. This is, 

 in fact, a question upon which those who may care to 

 read this book with attention will be as competent to 

 express an opinion as I am myself, since the evidence 

 on which such a judgment must be formed is before 

 them. To the best of my power both sides of the 

 argument have been set down fully and fairly in the 

 foregoing pages. 



For my part, speaking generally, I do consider 



