310 RURAL DENMARK 



prove to be of the greatest importance to others than 

 ordinary farm labourers. 



The question as to how land could be obtained for 

 farm labourers formed a subject for proposals and dis- 

 cussion for many years. Vilhelm Lassen (deceased 

 Minister of Finances) in particular greatly advocated this 

 matter, both in his paper and in his book on " Public 

 Leases/' and if the matter as put into practice turned out 

 somewhat differently to his expectations, it was certainly 

 no disappointment to him, for it was not the form he 

 looked upon as the principal point, but the contents. 



In 1894 a committee was appointed to consider this 

 question, and gave in two years later its report and 

 proposal, which formed the basis for the negotiations of 

 the ensuing two years of futile attempts to bring about an 

 understanding between the two Houses. The law of 

 March 24, 1899, was at last passed. Upon this law 

 were founded the laws passed later regarding the same 

 matter, viz. the laws of April 22, 1904, and of April 30, 

 1909. Many important alterations, however, have been 

 made since then. 



The right of putting into force the law which origin- 

 ally only concerned farm labourers proper has little by 

 little been extended to comprise country mechanics, 

 artisans, &c, who partly earn their livings by agricultural 

 and horticultural labour, as well as others who have 

 supported themselves for at least four years after attaining 

 their eighteenth year. 



The loan value of property, which originally was 

 4000 kroner, was increased in 1904 to 5000 kroner, is 

 now 6500 kroner, and can go up to 8000 kroner when 

 the price of land in the neighbourhood is particularly 

 high, and nine-tenths of these sums can be borrowed by 

 the farmers at 3 per cent. The annual grant from the 

 exchequer was in the first law fixed at 2,000,000 

 kroner, increased in 1904 to 3,000,000 kroner, and 

 is now 4,000,000 kroner annually, and a further 

 quarter million kroner as loan in "lease-houses," which 



