58 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



boundaries of the congested districts by enabling the Board to have 

 scheduled as congested any land purchased by them outside the 

 congested districts. The 1903 Act did much to facilitate the work 

 of the Board. It introduced a bonus of 12 per cent, as an induce- 

 ment to landlords to sell. It enabled the seller to obtain an 

 advance for the repurchase of his demesne. It extended trust 

 securities, relieved the seller to a considerable extent of legal 

 expenses, increased the maximum amount of advances to be made 

 in each county, reduced the yearly annuity from 4 to 3^ per cent., 

 and added £20,000 to the income of the Board. 



The money at the disposal of the Board has also greatly 

 increased with the years. The following figures show the fixed 

 income, the receipts, and the expenditure of the Board from 5th 

 August 1891, when it was started, to 31st March 1905 :— 



These figures represent the receipts and payments of the Board 

 for all purposes. We are, however, more particularly concerned 

 with agriculture. The money expended by the Board on agricul- 

 ture alone from 5th August 1891 to 31st March 1905 amounted 

 to £1,157,863. What has the Board at its credit for all this 

 expenditure ? 



1. It purchased before the 1903 Act came into operation 48 

 estates of the value of £597,925. 



2. It expended on main drainage operations £22,731. On the 

 Dillon estate alone, not to speak of others, it spent £13,651 on 

 main drains, covering a distance of 300 miles. We had an 

 opportunity of examining this estate, and can certify that without 

 an extensive drainage system, such as is being carried out, it 

 would have been impossible to bring much of the land into a state 

 of cultivation. 



3. It spent £65,608 on buildings, over £22,000 of which was 

 spent in connection with the migration scheme to be mentioned 

 presently. Some of these buildings were erected by the Board 

 itself, and some by the farmers assisted by the Board. Thus, 

 amid much generosity, the Board tries to keep self-help to the 



