350 WORCESTER COUNTY COUNCIL 



legal charges. Therefore, the price necessary to 

 cover the total cost of the land, plus interest over 

 a term of years, brings the cost per acre higher 

 than the cautious agriculturist knows to be its true 

 value. 



Two of the plots sold were purchased by a retired 

 cab-driver for the sole purpose of adding to the 

 value of two cottages which he possessed in the 

 neighbourhood. It is probable that if he had looked 

 upon the land purely as a source of remuneration 

 from cultivation he would, like others, have hesi- 

 tated to sink his capital in this way. 



Small Holdings under the Worcestershire 

 County Council at Catshill. 



Catshill is a village of 2,785 inhabitants, two 

 miles north of Bromsgrove Station on the Stour- 

 bridge road, and twelve miles from Birmingham. 



The district is largely inhabited by nail-makers ; 

 the forges were attached to the cottages, and both 

 men and women worked at the industry. The 

 introduction of machinery in the manufacture of 

 hob-nails and Flemish tacks threw a large number 

 of people out of employment, or considerably 

 lessened the profit to be earned. l a week can 

 still be earned in the manufacture of the brush - 

 nail ; but the industry is dying, as none of the 

 children go in for it. One old man of seventy, 

 who has worked sixty-two years at it, gets 7s. a 

 week, out of which Is. 3d. goes for ' breeze ' the 



