340 NORFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL 



This petition, when its history is traced, appears 

 to be due to the influence of Mr. Winfrey, whose 

 interest in the small-holding question was well 

 known locally. Being aware of the keen demand 

 for land amongst holders of allotments, he had him- 

 self purchased, two years previously, 50 acres of 

 fen land in the same parish. To quote his own 

 words : ' I gave 2,000 for this land and let it " like 

 ripe cherries " in small holdings for 100 a year. 

 Indeed, so great was the demand and so limited the 

 supply, that the night I went down to let it out the 

 village club-room was crowded with seventy or 

 eighty labourers, and 50 acres was like one small 

 loaf amongst a hungry crowd. I was only able to 

 satisfy the few who lived nearest the land ; the 

 majority of those present I had to send empty 

 away.' 



As an outcome of this he advised the men to 

 petition the County Council to put the Small Hold- 

 ings Act into force, showed them how to do this, 

 and even undertook to voice their requirements at 

 the public inquiry which was subsequently held. 

 At this inquiry, held in March, 1904, there were 

 about forty applicants asking for 163 acres. 



The Small Holdings Committee reported to the 

 Council in the following April. They pointed out 

 that under the Act the Council could not hire in 

 this case, and that there was no land in the market 

 at present ; but they had reason to suppose that 

 one or two farms would shortly be for sale, and 

 they advised the Council to keep in touch with the 



