54 THE ERRORS OF THE PAST 



very small indeed, and certainly does not exceed 



1,200. 



The unsatisfactory features of the Act are : — 



(1) In the strict sense of the word it is not a Land 



Settlement Act, and does not recognise that 

 the building up of the rural population is a 

 matter of supreme importance. 



(2) The administration of the Act has been placed 



in the hands of the County Councils, although 

 very few County Councillors have studied 

 the problem of Land Settlement, and many 

 farmers — members of the Small Holdings 

 Committees — are frankly hostile to the 

 movement. 



(3) Generally speaking, County Councils have 



bought land for Small Holdings in snippets 

 here and there, and quite failed to evolve any 

 comprehensive schemes of settlement. But 

 buying in scattered units is bad from every 

 point of view ; and land so bought is gener- 

 ally more costly and certainly more expen- 

 sive to manage subsequently than land 

 bought in fair-sized blocks. 



(4) Although under this Act full powers were 



provided for starting credit banks and co- 

 operative societies, they have not been put 

 into force. It is therefore a perfectly just 

 complaint that access to capital and the 

 advantages of co-operation have been denied 

 to these small holders. 



(5) Under the present arrangement the initial, 



that is, the hardest years of the small 

 holder's life are also made financially the 



