PEASANT PROPRIETARY 209 



Agricultural labourers of the old type, of whom 

 happily there are many left — are for the most part still 

 under the influence of past times, when they were 

 regarded by their " betters " as a separate caste. They 

 are reserved, and often suspicious. Speak to them 

 about the provisions of the Small Holdings Act, and 

 they will listen with a quiet disbelief that anything is 

 really intended for their benefit in that direction.^ In 

 this feeling they are right ; for during the ten years 

 since the Act was passed — with the few exceptions to 

 be referred to — the measure has been practically 

 ignored by the authorities who were appointed to 

 administer it. And yet there is hardly a clergyman, 

 in any rural parish, who could not put his finger on 

 men who would make good use of a piece of land if 

 they had it as their own. 



For the foregoing reasons the administration of 

 the Land Purchase Bill is placed in the hands of the 

 Board of Agriculture instead of those of Local Au- 

 thorities. 



Among professional men and others of the non- 

 agricultural classes living in rural districts there is a 

 large amount of dissatisfaction, and even alarm, at the 

 state of things which there exists. But these feelings, 

 for obvious reasons, cannot in many instances be 

 openly expressed. 



Among other communications bearing on this point, 



^ To quote one of many examples that could be given of this general 

 feeling. The writer a short time ago was speaking to a countryman 

 about the Act in question, and the following is the substance of the replies 

 he received. The man knew something of the Act. The county coun- 

 cillor of the district, whom he only knew by name, had never spoken about 

 it. "You see," said the man, "I have managed to get a bit of land" (he 

 had four acres, at ^5 per acre), " and it is not for the like of us to make a 

 bother. I am only a yearly tenant, r.nd if I had to leave the land there 

 would be a dozen men after it." 



