THREE TYPES OF COMPANIES 119 



various schemes for the artificial creation of hold- 

 ings according to the methods whicli have been 

 adopted. 



First of all they can be divided into those under- 

 taken by legislative and those by private action. 

 The former type are confided to those created 

 under the Small Holdings Act of 1892, and will be 

 considered in detail later on. The latter type fall 

 under several main headings, to each of which a 

 chapter will be devoted viz., those initiated by 

 (1) the formation of land companies, whether 

 solely with a view to re-establishment on the land, 

 or (2) merely as a commercial speculation ; (3) the 

 work of landowners on their own estates ; (4) the 

 acquiring of estates by individuals for the purpose 

 of cutting up ; (5) the formation of Small Holdings 

 Associations or the acquisition of land through 

 co-operative societies. 



In this chapter it is proposed to consider the 

 formation of holdings by three land companies 

 whose sole object, conducted on business lines, was 

 the settlement of more people on the land. These 

 companies are of particular interest as representing 

 different periods of time, and in a way different 

 shades of thought. 



The first one, the National Land Company, was 

 started by Feargus O'Connor, of Chartist fame, in 

 1845. His idea partook somewhat of the senti- 

 mental view of the question of bringing out men 

 from towns into the country. A passage in the 

 company's prospectus gives an idea of the line of 



