RESORT TO CO-OPERATION 269 



For the actual origin of the allotments in question 

 one must go back to about the year 1892, when certain 

 influential gentlemen in Leicester secured some land on 

 lease, and divided it into allotments, themselves remain- 

 ing trustees. But in the course of time (and here I 

 would point to a source of weakness in the trustee 

 system) some of these gentlemen died, some removed 

 from Leicester, and some who remained no longer took 

 much interest in the management. Thereupon the 

 tenants, who were mainly employes at the boot and 

 shoe factory already mentioned or at the Leicester 

 Corporation Gasworks, constituted themselves into a 

 registered co-operative society, which rented the land 

 afresh from the owners on the expiration of the previous 

 leases. 



The society now controls 172 separate allotments, 

 covering 21 acres, independently of 6 acres held in 

 reserve, and at present let for grazing. Some of the 

 allotments are 1,200 yards in extent, but the majority 

 are 400 or 500 yards. For the greater part of the land 

 the society pays a rental of 3 per acre, the charge for 

 the remaining portion being 4 per acre. This is 

 regarded as substantially less than what a land-owner 

 would have to charge if, instead of accepting a co- 

 operative society as the one responsible tenant, he had 

 the trouble, cost, and risk of dealing with 172 individual 

 tenants. So the society is able to let to the actual 

 occupiers at the rate of 2s. 8d. per 100 yards, inclusive 

 of rates and taxes, initial outlay, cost of roads, water- 

 supply, etc. The difference between the amount paid 

 to the landlord and the equivalent of 6 8s. 2d. per 

 acre charged to individual members covers working 

 expenses. There is, besides, a share capital, repre- 

 sented by 250 shares (of which all the tenants have at 

 least one) at los. each, though only 33. has been called 



