LANDHOLDERS' COURT 185 



nected with the sale. This Major Poore has made 

 over to the Land Court, only retaining, with three 

 other directors, the right of veto as to its disposal. 



The fund is the common property of the Land 

 Court, and can be applied to any purpose for the 

 mutual benefit of the members. So far it has been 

 used for advancing working capital at 3 per cent, 

 to any member who, on applying for it, can, in the 

 judgment of the Court, place proper security. 

 Several of the holders borrowed from it for the 

 purpose of building their houses. 



The holders are divided into five sections. Each 

 section has a chairman and vice-chairman appointed 

 annually from their number in turn ; the chair- 

 men and vice-chairmen form the committee of the 

 Court. 



In organizing the Court in this way, Major Poore 

 was trying to give effect to his principle that repre- 

 sentative government can only be arrived at properly 

 when those who are elected to public bodies are in 

 a position to confer with their constituents through 

 properly organized local committees. He himself, 

 as County Councillor, had divided the villages of 

 his district up into groups of ten families ; every 

 group appointed its chairman and vice-chairman, 

 who formed collectively the village committee. 

 He would confer with this body on any matter of 

 importance concerning the district, or which was 

 under the consideration of the County Council, 

 and in this way got a real knowledge of local 

 requirements. 



