278 THE AYLESTONE ALLOTMENTS 



that it is intended for the erection of villas only, at a rental of ^30 

 per annum, we feel sure that at present there can be very little 

 demand for such houses, though there is, no doubt, a very great 

 demand for houses for the working men at a rental of 6s. or 75. 

 per week. 



5. We humbly pray that, under the circumstances, you will, if 

 possible, allow the land to remain let as allotment gardens, and, 

 should you feel disposed to do so, the allotment holders are pre- 

 pared to register themselves into an association, and take over the 

 land on a lease of seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years, and to get 

 rules and regulations passed by the Registrar. 



I am glad to be able to add that this memorial has 

 been received most sympathetically by the representa- 

 tive of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. It is pointed 

 out, in reply, that some of the land in question is now 

 too valuable to remain devoted to allotments, while 

 building has been started at the present time on 2 acres 

 at Fulflood, mainly with the idea of finding work for 

 the unemployed. But the Commissioners will be quite 

 prepared to consider the question of allotting another 

 field to those holders who are displaced by the building 

 operations. 



Should the Winchester allotment-holders form them- 

 selves into a registered association on the lines sug- 

 gested, they would doubtless find it an easy matter to 

 get their land on lease for a fixed period, on specially 

 favourable terms, thus avoiding the element of un- 

 certainty to which the memorial refers. 



