ALLOTMENTS OR SMALL HOLDINGS 55 



I think it is clear that all three classes of holdings are 



absolutely necessary to the rural economy of India. The 



great mass of the cultivators will continue to cultivate 



medium-sized holdings for many generations ; though it may 



be held that the holdings should not only be consolidated, 



but that their average size should be somewhat increased. 



Yet as a class the medium-sized holdings must remain, and 



will probably, in most districts, form the greater part of the 



cultivable area. It is equally necessary to have the small 



holdings or allotments of less than 5 acres available in all 



villages and particularly around the small towns and in the 



suburbs of the larger towns. It is obvious that the proper 



place for these small holdings to be located is as near as 



possible to the abadi ; and it would be a great advantage 



if all such small holdings lying within a mauza were concen- 



trated in one place. When scattered amongst the medium- 



sized holdings, they will form an obstacle to the improvement 



of cultivation by the professional cultivators ; and scattering 



of small holdings at a distance from the abadi greatly reduces. 



their value to the artisans and laborers who cultivate them. 



I would therefore discourage the existence of such small 



holdings outside a specified area close to the abadi in each 



village ; and this could be done by refusing to allow occu- 



pancy rights or automatic leases or any other statutory 



provisions to apply to such small holdings outside the 



prescribed area. The only rights which would attach to 



them when situated in any part of a mauza would be those 



accruing under the general law applying to all tenants-at- 



_ 



*There may appear to be some confusion here in the use ot 

 the terms " tenant-at-will" and "yearly tenant". The explana- 

 tion is that, according to my proposal, no person could in fact 

 remain a tenant-at-will, for every person admitted to cultivating 

 occupation of land at ail, whether directly by the landlord or 

 indirectly as a sub- tenant, would automatically obtain the status 

 of a yearly tenant, and could be ejected only after twelve months 

 notice, except for non-payment of rent. In the sequel, therefore, 



